TRANSPORT

Bus Lanes

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to instruct or encourage local authorities to (a) allow taxis, motorcycles and electrically-powered vehicles into bus lanes and  (b) remove non-contra-flow bus lane restrictions at non-peak times.

Norman Baker: holding answer 8 February 2011
	Bus lanes are provided to give buses priority at times of congestion. It is for local highway authorities to determine which, if any, other classes of vehicle may be allowed to use bus lanes in their area.
	Decisions on bus lane operating hours are also for the local highway authority, taking into account local factors such as bus timetable frequency and patterns of traffic congestion. Many bus lanes operate at peak hours only, and outside these hours, any vehicle can use the lane.

Motor Vehicles: Licensing

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the merits of requiring vehicle owners to display proof of insurance on the windscreen of their vehicles; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Penning: A system of requiring vehicles to display evidence that a vehicle is insured by means of a windscreen disc has been considered. However, UK law requires the driver to be insured, rather than the vehicle; a disc would not guarantee that the person behind the wheel was insured to drive. In addition, the disc would only be evidence that somebody had insurance cover for the use of the vehicle at the time when the disc was issued and would not demonstrate whether insurance was currently valid.

Network Rail: Electrification

Esther McVey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to ensure that Network Rail completes the planned electrification of rail lines between Manchester, Liverpool, Preston and Blackpool; and what estimate he has made of the likely  (a) cost to the public purse and  (b) completion date of the project.

Theresa Villiers: The Department for Transport and the Office of Rail Regulation meet Network Rail formally every month to discuss the progress of the electrification programme. I expect that the first electric trains will start running in 2013 and the project will be completed by 2016 at an estimated cost of up to £300 million. This will be funded using the Network Rail Regulated Asset Base, which is financed as part of the five yearly determinations by the Office of Rail Regulation that establishes the grant paid to Network Rail by the Department.

Railways: Franchising

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he plans to take to encourage rail freight under future franchise obligations.

Theresa Villiers: There are no plans to introduce a measure to encourage rail freight in passenger franchise obligations. However, the Department will take freight into full account in franchise specification, and in any reforms to Network Rail and operator relationships that may be implemented as a result of Sir Roy McNulty's recommendations on value for money.

Railways: Lowestoft

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  whether his Department has made an assessment of the likely economic effects on Lowestoft of the removal of direct train services from Lowestoft to London;
	(2)  whether he has assessed the merits of including a requirement to return to direct services from Lowestoft to London in discussions on the renewal of the Great Anglia rail franchise.

Theresa Villiers: Direct services between London and Lowestoft ceased operation in December 2010. This was part of a wider package of service changes which provided more seats across the Anglia network as a whole. The analysis carried out by the Department for Transport focused on the financial impact across the whole franchise. It did not carry out a specific analysis of the impact on Lowestoft.
	The Department for Transport does not intend to include a specific provision about through services between Lowestoft and London in the new long-term Greater Anglia franchise. Bidders will, however, be encouraged to develop timetable proposals which maximise the value of the franchise and the benefit for passengers. It is possible that these might include new journey opportunities should there be a case for doing so.

Rescue Services: Helicopters

Albert Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what potential procurement options are now in place for search and rescue helicopters in the UK; whether these options include maintaining continuity of search and rescue services in the short and mid-term; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Penning: I refer the hon. Member to the written statement made to the House by the Secretary of State for Transport on 8 February 2010,  Official Report, column 7WS. The Department for Transport and the Ministry of Defence will now consider the potential procurement options to meet future requirements for search and rescue helicopters in the United Kingdom and we will make an announcement once a way forward has been agreed.

Rolling Stock: North West

Esther McVey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans his Department has to make  (a) new and  (b) additional rolling stock available to operate on electrified rail lines between Manchester, Liverpool, Preston and Blackpool.

Theresa Villiers: It is currently planned that the rail industry will lead on the procurement of new trains for Manchester airport to Preston and Scotland services due to operate from December 2013 and that the remainder of electrified services are expected to be operated by cascaded electric trains freed up as a result of the Thameslink project.

Sea Rescue: Information and Communications Technology

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of changing information technology infrastructure as part of the proposed reorganisation of coastal emergency services.

Michael Penning: The proposal to reorganise HM Coastguard is not based on implementing new technology. The technology element of this programme uses the latest version of existing technology currently installed in the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centres. It seeks to fully exploit functionality that is currently not used.
	The total capital cost of the rationalised HM Coastguard infrastructure over the four-year period (2011-12 to 2014-15) and 25 years is £14 million and £74 million respectively. Of these figures the information technology infrastructure element is £2.5 million over the four-year period (2011-12 to 2014-15) and £12.6 million over 25 years. These figures include capital spend of £0.65 million over the four-year period (2011-12 to 2014-15) and £3.5 million over 25 years which is not directly delivering, but necessary for, the changes as outlined in the document 'Protecting our Seas and Shores in the 21st Century'. The remaining capital costs relate to the reconfiguring of the HM Coastguard communications infrastructure and estate.
	A copy of the consultation document is available both in the Libraries of the House and on the Maritime and Coastguard Agency website at:
	www.mcga.gov.uk

Sea Rescue: Information and Communications Technology

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has undertaken a cost-benefit analysis in respect of the change of information technology infrastructure as part of the proposed reorganisation of coastal emergency services.

Michael Penning: The proposal to reorganise HM Coastguard is not based on implementing new technology. The technology element of this programme uses the latest version of existing technology currently installed in the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centres. It seeks to fully exploit functionality that is currently not used.
	The cost/benefit of the refresh, together with other factors, was taken into account in the efficiency and value for money assessment set out at pages 37 and 38 of the consultation document "Protecting our Seas and Shores in the 21(st) Century".
	All elements of this proposal would deliver a fully integrated national network that can be more resilient and more capable of managing a major incident with the flexibility to match workforce to workload. This will at the same time reduce long term running costs and capital expenditure and generate a total saving, in net present value terms, of some £120 million over 25 years.

Sea Rescue: Northern Ireland

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with the  (a) Office of First and Deputy First Minister,  (b) Northern Ireland Coastguard and  (c) Irish Coast Guard on the HM Coastguard Proposals for Modernisation consultation.

Michael Penning: I am to visit staff at the Belfast Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre on 17 February 2011 to discuss the HM Coastguard proposals for modernising the Coastguard. I will be meeting both the First and Deputy First Ministers on the same day.
	The Maritime and Coastguard Agency are arranging a briefing session through the Office of the First and Deputy First Ministers for Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly. In addition, they have regular discussions with the Director of the Irish Coastguard on coastguard issues including on the proposals for modernisation.

Shipping: Inspections

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many  (a) UK-registered ships and  (b) foreign flagged ships were inspected by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency in each of the last 12 months; what the country of registration was of each such foreign-flagged ship; at what location each such inspection took place; and whether prior notice of inspection was given in each instance.

Michael Penning: holding answer 20 December 2010
	During the last 12 months the total number of UK registered ships inspected was 7,103 and the total number of foreign flagged ships was 2,324.
	Prior notice is not normally given for an inspection. However, in the case of UK registered vessels, prior notice is given if an inspection is to be carried out in conjunction with a survey. However the number of such cases is not held.
	In view of the quantity of data involved and the detailed information requested, I have asked it to be placed in the Libraries of the both Houses.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what regulations apply to pilots remotely flying unmanned aircraft in UK airspace that is under the jurisdiction of the Civil Aviation Authority from within a foreign nation.

Theresa Villiers: The regulations applicable to the operation of unmanned aircraft in UK airspace are explained in the Civil Aviation Authority's publication CAP 722: Unmanned Aircraft System Operations in UK Airspace-Guidance. This can be downloaded from:
	www.caa.co.uk

EDUCATION

Departmental Libraries

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many  (a) certified and  (b) chartered librarians his Department and its predecessors have employed in each year since 2000.

Tim Loughton: Information on librarians who hold Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) approved academic qualifications, including certified and chartered status, in the Department and its predecessors is set out in the following table:
	
		
			   Permanent  Temporary agency contract 
			 2002-03 17 1 
			 2003-04 18 3 
			 2004-05 18 1 
			 2005-06 21 7 
			 2006-07 19 4 
			 2007-08 15 3 
			 2008-09 8 2 
			 2009-10 8 0 
			 2010-11 8 0 
		
	
	Information before 2002-03 is not available and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Responsibilities

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what  (a) directorates and  (b) teams there are in his Department; what the responsibility of each is for (i) policy formation and (ii) policy delivery; and how many people at each payband work in each team.

Tim Loughton: The information on the Department's structure, responsibilities and policy objectives can be found on its website:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/departmental information/transparency/b0065313/discloure-of-scs-posts-and-salarv-information/

DEFENCE

Armed Forces: Education

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 4 February 2011,  Official Report, column 980W, on armed forces: education, what figures have been provided to his Department by  (a) the Department for Education and  (b) the Scottish Executive on the likely capacity to receive children of returning service personnel of schools situated in the vicinity of each base considered for the stationing of such personnel to be withdrawn from Germany; and if he will publish the data he has received.

Nick Harvey: The Ministry of Defence has not received any figures on the likely capacity of schools situated in the vicinity of each base considered for the stationing of armed forces personnel to be withdrawn from Germany, to receive children of returning troops.
	No basing decisions have yet been made, but we will consult fully with the relevant authorities as our plans mature.

Army

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the establishment and structure of the infantry is; and what its establishment will be after the implementation of the outcome of the strategic defence and security review.

Nick Harvey: The total liability for all infantry personnel is 24,631.
	The regiments that make up the infantry are as follows:
	
		
			  Division  Unit 
			 Guards 1 Grenadier Guards 
			  1 Coldstream Guards 
			  1 SCOTS Guards 
			  1 Irish Guards 
			  1 Welsh Guards 
			   
			 SCOTS 1 SCOTS 
			  2 SCOTS 
			  3 SCOTS 
			  4 SCOTS 
			  5 SCOTS 
			   
			 Queens 1 Princess of Wales Royal Regiment 
			  2 Princess of Wales Royal Regiment 
			  1 Royal Regt Fusiliers 
			  2 Royal Regt Fusiliers 
			  1 Royal Anglian 
			  2 Royal Anglian 
			   
			 Kings 1 LANCS 
			  2 LANCS 
			  1 YORKS 
			  2 YORKS 
			  3 YORKS 
			   
			 Prince of Wales 1 Mercian 
			  2 Mercian 
			  3 Mercian 
			  1 Royal Welsh 
			  2 Royal Welsh 
			   
			 RIFLES 1 RIFLES 
			  2 RIFLES 
			  3 RIFLES 
			  4 RIFLES 
			  5 RIFLES 
			   
			 Royal Irish 1 Royal Irish 
			   
			 PARA 1 PARA 
			  2 PARA 
			  3 PARA 
		
	
	In addition to the battalions shown above, there are three incremental guards companies whose primary role is public duties but which can also be used to augment the other guards battalions as required:
	Nijmegen Coy Grenadier Guards
	7 Coy Coldstream Guards
	F Coy SCOTS Guards
	The total liability over the next four years is still subject to ongoing work implementing the strategic defence and security review.

Caribbean: Navy

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all seizures of narcotics by the Royal Navy in the Caribbean in each of the last five years.

Nick Harvey: The primary purposes of the Royal Navy's deployment to the Caribbean (Atlantic Patrol Task (North)) are the promotion of UK interests in the region and the provision of security to UK Overseas Territories, including support to humanitarian operations and disaster relief. Counter-narcotic activities are carried out as operational commitments and resources allow and we will continue to provide this capability through the use of a Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) vessel enhanced with an additional naval party, a helicopter and law enforcement detachment.
	The information requested regarding seizures of narcotics is provided in the following table:
	
		
			   Month  Unit  Quantity  Estimated value  (£ million) 
			 2006 February HMS Southampton/RFA Grey Rover 2.223 tonnes cocaine. Further 2 tonnes assessed jettisoned by the smugglers 169 
			  September RFA Wave Ruler 2.5 tonnes cocaine 100 
			  October RFA Wave Ruler 2.789 tonnes cocaine 112 
			  November RFA Wave Ruler 4.0 tonnes cocaine 160 
			  November RFA Wave Ruler 2.04 tonnes cocaine 82 
			  
			 2007 May HMS Ocean 12 bales cocaine - 
			  June HMS Ocean 328 kg cocaine; 20 kg heroin 14 
			  October HMS Portland/RFA Wave Knight 3.3 tonnes (assessed) cocaine (jettisoned by smugglers) 132 
			  December RFA Largs Bay 1.125 tonnes cocaine 45 
			  
			 2008 June HMS Iron Duke 1.125 tonnes cocaine 45 
			  July HMS Iron Duke 1.2 tonnes (assessed) cocaine (jettisoned by smugglers) 48 
			  July HMS Iron Duke 2,477 coca field plants sighted from helicopter survey n/a 
			  
			 2009 July HMS Iron Duke/US Coastguard 0.75 tonne cocaine 33 
			  August HMS Iron Duke/US Coastguard 150 kg (assessed) cocaine (jettisoned by smugglers) 6 
			  September HMS Iron Duke 5.5 tonnes cocaine 240 
			  
			 2010 June HMS Manchester/Royal Montserrat Police (RMP) 12 bales of illicit substance assessed to be marijuana estimated to weigh 500 lbs (1)1.5 
			  
			  October HMS Manchester 8 bales cocaine jettisoned by smugglers (2 at 30 kg each retrieved, 6 sank). Estimated total of 240 kg 12 
			 (1) Assessed by RMP.  Notes: 1. Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) estimates, as at June 2009, of UK street values have been applied to all seizures, unless stated otherwise. 2. Where only the number of bales is known/estimated but not their weight, no street value can be estimated retrospectively.

Caribbean: Navy

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the likely level of savings to his Department following the withdrawal of the Royal Navy from anti-narcotic and disaster relief work in the Caribbean;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has had with representatives of Caribbean nations on the withdrawal of the Royal Navy from anti-narcotic and disaster relief work in that region;
	(3)  whether he expects any further reductions in Royal Navy commitments in the next 12 months.

Nick Harvey: The decision not to send a destroyer or frigate to the Caribbean region during 2011 was taken on the basis of available capability and not as a savings measure. The ship that had been identified for this task will be redeployed elsewhere and will, therefore, continue to incur operational costs. The financial implications are still being assessed.
	For 2011, it is assessed that a destroyer or frigate is not required for the Atlantic Patrol Task (North) and that a Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship, enhanced with a naval party, law enforcement detachment and helicopter during the core hurricane season, has the necessary capabilities to provide support to UK Overseas Territories in the Caribbean region. This will provide a permanent presence, able to respond to the full range of foreseeable contingencies, including disaster relief, and to contribute to counter narcotics where spare capacity allows. I am confident that this will enable the UK to meet its commitment to the region and, as such, no discussions with representatives of Caribbean nations are planned.
	We expect that the Royal Navy will continue to meet commitments in priority regions such as the north and south Atlantic, the Indian ocean, as well as in home waters. Maritime commitments are regularly reviewed and adjusted where necessary to reflect changing requirements.

Caribbean: Navy

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what disaster relief work was carried out by the Royal Navy in the Caribbean in the last five years.

Nick Harvey: The primary purposes of the Royal Navy's deployment to the Caribbean (Atlantic Patrol Task (North)) are the promotion of UK interests in the region and the provision of security to UK Overseas Territories, including support to humanitarian operations and disaster relief. We will continue to provide support to disaster relief through the presence of a Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) vessel.
	The information requested is provided in the following table:
	
		
			   Month  Unit  Location 
			 2006 August HMS Iron Duke/RFA Wave Ruler Turks and Caicos Islands. Humanitarian disaster relief contingency patrol in the wake of Tropical Storm Chris. 
			  August HMS Iron Duke/RFA Wave Ruler Cayman Islands. Humanitarian disaster relief contingency patrol in the wake of Category 1 Hurricane Ernesto. 
			  September HMS Iron Duke Bermuda. Humanitarian disaster relief contingency patrol in the wake of Hurricane Florence. 
			 
			 2007 August RFA Wave Ruler Montserrat and Cayman Islands. Humanitarian disaster relief contingency patrol in the wake of Hurricane Dean. 
			  August HMS Portland/RFA Wave Ruler Belize. Humanitarian disaster relief operation ashore in Belize in wake of Hurricane Dean. 
			  September HMS Portland Barbados. Humanitarian disaster relief contingency patrol in the wake of Hurricane Felix. 
			  November RFA Wave Knight Dominican Republic. Humanitarian disaster relief operations in the wake of Tropical Storm Noel. 
			 
			 2008 August RFA Wave Ruler Cayman Island. Humanitarian disaster relief operation ashore in the wake of Hurricane Gustav. 
			  September RFA Wave Ruler Turks and Caicos Islands. Humanitarian disaster relief operation ashore in the wake of Hurricane Ike. 
			  October RFA Wave Ruler British Virgin Islands, Anguilla and Montserrat. Humanitarian disaster relief operation ashore in the wake of Hurricane Omar. 
			  November RFA Wave Ruler Cayman Brae and Little Cayman. Humanitarian disaster relief operation ashore in the wake of Hurricane Paloma. 
			 
			 2010 February/March RFA Largs Bay Haiti. Humanitarian disaster relief operation and support to World Food Programme and UN operations ashore in wake of earthquake. 
			  August HMS Manchester Eastern Caribbean. Humanitarian disaster relief contingency patrol in wake of Hurricane Earl. 
			  September RFA Wave Ruler Tortola, British Virgin Islands. Humanitarian disaster relief reassurance visit. Working party ashore to assist with clearance of mudslides. 
			  September HMS Manchester Bermuda. Aerial survey damage assessment in the wake of Hurricane Igor. 
			  November HMS Manchester/RFA Wave Ruler St Lucia. Humanitarian disaster relief operations ashore in the wake of Hurricane Tomas. 
			  November HMS Manchester/RFA Wave Ruler Turks and Caicos Islands. Humanitarian disaster relief contingency patrol in the wake of Hurricane Tomas. 
			  November RFA Wave Ruler Haiti. In support of US Forces conducting humanitarian disaster relief operations.

Defence: Procurement

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what account he takes of sustaining skills and capabilities in the UK defence industry in determining his policy on equipment procurement.

Nick Harvey: The Government published a Green Paper in December 2010 on "Equipment, Support and Technology for UK Defence and Security: a Consultation Paper". The Green Paper asked for views on the ways in which the Government can ensure that the UK creates and retains the skills necessary to support essential national security capabilities; which skills and capabilities are most vulnerable and what might be done to protect them. The outcomes of the current consultation process on the Green Paper will be taken forward in to a White Paper which will be published later this year.

Departmental Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether all new contracts his Department has tendered over £10,000 have been published with associated tender documents on the Contracts Finder website since its inception.

Nick Harvey: As at 31 January 2011, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) had published nine tenders and 10 contracts. Publication of a further 63 tenders and 72 contracts has been delayed by system issues between the contracts finder (the Efficiency Reform Group (ERG) Transparency web portal) and the MOD's information networks.
	By agreement with the ERG, the MOD is currently not publishing tenders and contracts relating to: Warlike Stores (as defined under article 346 of the treaty of the functioning of the European Union), and information exempt under section 23 of FOI Act (Intelligence Agency or Special Forces).

EU Defence Policy

Stephen Gilbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on the proposal for a team of wise men on European defence co-operation considered by EU Defence Ministers in December 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: There has been no decision yet to appoint a team of wise men. As part of the wider analysis of pooling and sharing of military capabilities in Europe, the European Defence Agency has been asked to examine proposals to take this initiative forward and to consider the use of such a team. We will study the business case for the team in due course. We are clear that work done in the EU must be co-ordinated with work under way in NATO and elsewhere.

European Defence Agency

Stephen Gilbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria he plans to use to assess the performance of the European Defence Agency against  (a) its objectives and  (b) future UK membership of the agency.

Gerald Howarth: holding answer 10 February 2011
	We will assess whether the European Defence Agency (EDA) is supporting participating member states by delivering outputs to develop military capability. Any future UK decision regarding our membership of the EDA will be based on our national priorities and interests, including whether we are achieving value for money for the UK taxpayer through our participation.

France: Military Alliances

Charles Kennedy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department has taken to implement the Defence and Security Co-operation treaty since the UK-France summit of 2 November 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Fox: The Ministry of Defence has taken a number of early steps to implement the Defence and Security Co-operation treaty.
	There have been regular bilateral discussions including between Defence Ministers, the National Security Advisor, the Chief of Defence Staff, and the Vice Chief of Defence Staff and their counterparts. We have discussed co-operation in the areas of operations, equipment, and capabilities. We have agreed a set of common objectives for this calendar year.
	We will build on the existing close links between our armed forces in the coming months with a number of bilateral exercises with France aimed at increasing the levels of interoperability between our armed forces.

France: Military Alliances

Stephen Gilbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any other nations apart from France and the UK may be involved in the Franco-British joint brigade announced in November 2010; and on what basis.

Liam Fox: holding answer 10 February 2011
	We confirmed at last year's bilateral summit that we would develop a Combined Joint Expeditionary Force with France and not a Brigade. It will foster closer links between our armed forces and improve their ability to deploy together on operations in the future. It will not involve standing forces. We currently have no plans to involve other nations in this initiative.

France: Military Alliances

Stephen Gilbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what progress has been achieved by the Senior Level Group on Franco-British defence co-operation to date; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  on how many occasions the Senior Level Group on Franco-British defence co-operation has met.

Liam Fox: holding answer 10 February 2011
	Since the UK-France summit last November there have been regular bilateral discussions on defence and security co-operation with France including between Defence Ministers, the National Security Advisor, the Chief of Defence Staff, and the Vice Chief of Defence Staff and their counterparts. The Senior Level Group will meet formally later in the year to review progress on co-operation and to prepare the defence and security elements of this year's annual bilateral summit.

Low Flying: Compensation

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many payments of compensation in respect of low flying have been made to recipients in  (a) Wales,  (b) England and  (c) Scotland in each of the last three years; and what the monetary value of each such payment was.

Nick Harvey: The number of payments of compensation (including legal costs) made in respect of military low flying aircraft to claimants in Wales, England and Scotland in each of the last three financial years is shown in the following table, together with the total amount of compensation paid. I will write to the hon. Member shortly giving details of the monetary value of each payment.
	
		
			   2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			   Number of claims  Amount paid (£)  Number of claims  Amount paid (£)  Number of claims  Amount paid (£) 
			 Wales 33 73,662.41 14 68,890.29 10 25,583.39 
			 England 73 211,287.92 99 812,626.46 78 397,301.09 
			 Scotland 6 63,546.80 1 1,241.92 6 8,887.68

Military Bases

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what organisational structure his Department has put in place to undertake its review of RAF bases.

Nick Harvey: No new organisational structures have been put in place. The work to address the range of issues affecting the Defence Estate following the strategic defence and security review is being carried out by Ministry of Defence (MOD) civilian and service personnel across the Department. It is being undertaken under their normal responsibilities as part of the MOD's annual planning round.

Rescue Services

Albert Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his most recent assessment if of the extent of future provision of search and rescue helicopters at RAF bases; what plans he has for the future provision of such services at RAF bases; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: I refer the hon. Member to the written statement made the Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) on 8 February 2010,  Official Report, columns 7-8WS. The Department for Transport and the Ministry of Defence will now consider the potential procurement options to meet future requirements for search and rescue helicopters in the United Kingdom and we will make an announcement once a way forward has been agreed.

Rescue Services

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much funding from the public purse has been spent on the Joint Search and Rescue Harmonization project to date.

Nick Harvey: To date a total of circa £10 million has been spent on contracts in support of the Joint Search and Rescue-Helicopter project by the Ministry of Defence and the Department for Transport.

Royal Armoured Corps

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the establishment and structure of the Royal Armoured Corps is; and what its establishment will be after the implementation of the outcome of the Strategic Defence and Security Review.

Nick Harvey: The Household Cavalry and Royal Armoured Corps personnel are grouped as one arm because they perform similar roles. The total liability for all Household Cavalry and Royal Armoured Corps personnel is 5,778.
	The regiments that make up the Royal Cavalry and Royal Armoured Corps are as follows:
	Household Cavalry Regiment
	Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment
	Queens Dragoon Guards
	SCOTS Dragoon Guards
	Royal Dragoon Guards
	9/12 Lancers
	Queens Royal Hussars
	Kings Royal Hussars
	Light Dragoons
	Queens Royal Lancers
	Joint Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear Regiment
	1 Royal Tank Regiment Armoured Squadron
	2 Royal Tank Regiment
	The total liability over the next four years is still subject to ongoing work implementing the strategic defence and security review.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what permissions are required for unmanned aerial vehicle flights by aircraft over 150kg in airspace controlled by the Civil Aviation Authority.

Theresa Villiers: I have been asked to reply.
	The regulations applicable to the operation of unmanned aircraft in UK airspace are explained in the Civil Aviation Authority's publication CAP 722: Unmanned Aircraft System Operations in UK Airspace-Guidance. This can be downloaded from:
	www.caa.co.uk

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Energy: Natural Gas

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of primary energy consumption in  (a) England,  (b) Scotland,  (c) Northern Ireland and  (d) Wales was accounted for by natural gas in the last year for which figures are available.

Charles Hendry: The Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES), shows that in 2009 natural gas accounted for 39.4% of primary energy consumption in the UK. No breakdown of primary energy consumption is available for the individual UK nations.

Fuel Oil

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will bring forward proposals to protect consumers from anti-competitive practices in the heating oil industry.

Charles Hendry: The Government are sympathetic to the plight of many heating oil consumers who were hit hard by high prices and supply issues this winter.
	I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement I gave on 21 January 2011,  Official Report, column 55WS. I am keen that the reasons for the high heating oil prices and supply issues this winter are thoroughly investigated by an independent authority. I have written to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) on 19 January to ask it to bring forward its competition and consumer study into off-grid energy. I also asked the OFT if the study could explore longer term consumer issues such as lifetime payback, consumer standards and labelling for alternative energy sources or supplies.
	I welcome the independent assessment of the off-grid market to be made by the OFT, and we look forward to seeing its conclusions in advance of next winter so the lessons from this winter can be learned and any necessary changes made.

Renewable Energy: Heating

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what plans he has to publish further information on the technologies to be supported by the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme.

Gregory Barker: I am happy to confirm that we hope to publish details of the Renewable Heat Incentive next month.

Wind Power: Subsidies

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on what date the Government first introduced subsidies to encourage the development of wind power; and what estimate he has made of the total subsidy provided for wind power since that date.

Charles Hendry: The renewables obligation (RO) is currently the Government's main mechanism for incentivising large scale renewables deployment. Between its introduction in April 2002 and March 2010 it has provided approximately £2.2 billion of support (in 2010-11 prices) to 34.7 million megawatt hours (MWh) of wind power generation.
	The Offshore Wind Capital Grants Scheme announced in 2001 by the DTI awarded capital grants totalling £97 million from the Department (of which £36.95 million was disbursed) and a further £10 million from the New Opportunities Fund in the years 2004-05 to 2009-10. Further details are available in the National Audit Office's report 'Government Funding for Renewable Energy Technologies', published in June 2010, which considered the Government's direct support for renewable energy from 2000 to 2009:
	http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/1011/renewable_energy.aspx
	No capital grants have been made for the development of onshore wind farms as this is an established renewable technology.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Art Works

Gloria De Piero: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, 
	(1)  how much funding the Commission has allocated for the acquisition of new works of art for the House of Commons art collection in  (a) 2010-11 and  (b) 2011-12;
	(2)  what recent estimate the Commission has made of the value of the House of Commons art collection.

John Thurso: In recent years, up to and including 2009-10, the annual allocation for acquisition of items for the House of Commons Art Collection has been £100,000. The funding allocated in 2010-11 is £50,000. The planned allocation for 2011-12 is also £50,000. The latest valuation of the works of art acquired between 1 April 2000 and 31 March 2010 is £1.47 million. No valuation exists for works of art acquired before April 2000.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Child Benefit

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 14 December 2010,  Official Report, column 698W, on child benefit, whether he has now considered the full implications of the changes announced to child benefit to ensure that those entitled continue to receive national insurance credits towards their state pension; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Webb: We are continuing to consider the full implications of the changes announced to child benefit to ensure that those entitled continue to receive national insurance credits towards their state pension.

Cold Weather Payments: Dartford

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in the weather station area covering Dartford constituency received cold weather payments in each of the last two years.

Steve Webb: The available information is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Estimated number of benefit units that received at least one cold weather payment for weather stations linked to postcode districts in Dartford constituency 
			  Weather station  2009-10  2010-11 
			 Charlwood 45,700 46,500 
			 Gravesend 118,700 119,400 
			  Notes: 1. The information provided is Management Information. Our preference is to answer all parliamentary questions using Official/National Statistics but in this case we only have Management Information available. It is not quality assured to the same extent as Official/National Statistics and there are some issues with the data, for example, figures given are estimates. Actuals are not available. Estimates for 2010-11 may be revised after the end of the cold weather payment season, but will still be estimates not actuals. 2. A cold weather payment is made to an eligible customer when the average temperature has been recorded as, or is forecast to be, 0° C or below over seven consecutive days at the weather station linked to the customer's postcode. (When the temperature criterion is met, the weather station is said to trigger.) 3. Each of Charlwood and Gravesend weather stations is linked both to an area within Dartford constituency and also to an area outside Dartford constituency. Estimated numbers given are for the weather station as a whole, not for the part of Dartford constituency linked to the weather station. 4. Estimates of potential qualifiers for each weather station for 2010-11 were made at the beginning of the winter. Both Charlwood and Gravesend weather stations have already triggered this winter, so the estimated number of benefit units that received at least one cold weather payment in 2010-11 will not change during the rest of the winter. The estimates for 2010-11 may be revised once the national out-turn for the winter is known. 
			 5. Cold weather payments are made to benefit units. A benefit unit can be a single person or a couple and can include children. 6. Some benefit units received more than one payment in a year. 7. Estimated numbers have been rounded to the nearest 100.  Sources: 1. Postcode districts in the Dartford constituency: analysis of National Statistics Postcode Directory 2. Postcode district to weather station links: Department for Work and Pensions records 3. Records of triggers and estimates of potential qualifiers by weather station: Department for Work and Pensions records

Departmental Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether all new contracts his Department has tendered over £10,000 have been published with associated tender documents on the Contracts Finder website since its inception.

Chris Grayling: DWP has only had access to Contracts Finder from the beginning of January 2011 and thus has a backlog of cases to load. We are urgently working through the backlog and expecting to be fully up to date by March 2011.

Departmental Security

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which persons not employed by Government departments or agencies hold passes entitling them to enter his Department's premises.

Chris Grayling: Passes may be issued to those who are required to make regular visits to specific Government sites, subject to relevant security checks. For security reasons it would not be appropriate to provide details of the individuals who hold such passes.

Employment and Support Allowance

Anne Begg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether claimants who have migrated from non-means-tested incapacity benefit to employment and support allowance (ESA) will lose their entitlement to contributory ESA if they have been in receipt of it for 12 months as at April 2012.

Chris Grayling: As part of the spending review announcement, we have set out our intention to introduce a time limit of one year for those claiming contributory employment and support allowance (ESA) and who are placed in the Work Related Activity Group (WRAG) only. This includes those people who have been converted from incapacity benefits as part of the reassessment programme.

Employment: Kirkcaldy

Gordon Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) young and  (b) disabled people resident in Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath constituency have found employment through the New Deal in each year since 2001.

Chris Grayling: The information is not currently available in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost within the required timescales.
	I will write to the right hon. Member with the information once it is available.

Employment: Scotland

Gordon Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the likely change in employment rates in Scotland among those  (a) aged 16 to 24 and  (b) of all age groups between (i) 2008 and 2013 and (ii) 2013 and 2020; and whether he has had discussions with the Scottish Government on its forecasts for such groups.

Chris Grayling: The Department does not produce forecasts of employment. The Office for Budget Responsibility publishes forecasts of employment, the most recent being in the autumn statement, but these are at United Kingdom level only, covering all age groups.
	There has therefore been no discussion between the Department and the Scottish Government on the subject of youth employment forecasts for Scotland.

Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit: Osteoarthritis

Brian H Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people resident in Central Ayrshire constituency were awarded industrial injuries disablement benefit for osteoarthritis in the latest period for which figures are available.

Maria Miller: Osteoarthritis of the knee in coal miners, and osteoarthritis of the hip in farmers are both included within the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit scheme.
	We do not have information on the numbers of successful claims for either disease at constituency level, but can provide the numbers of successful claims for osteoarthritis of the knee in coal miners at the national level. The number of farmers paid benefit for osteoarthritis of the hip is not currently available.
	Since the addition of osteoarthritis of the knee to the list of prescribed industrial diseases on 13 July 2009, 18,605 customers received an award of, or an increase in, Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit.
	This information is based on an informal count by the Jobcentre Plus offices dealing with Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit at December 2010. This information will be published in due course.

New Deal Schemes: Wirral

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many disabled people resident in Wirral South constituency have found employment through the New Deal in each year since 2001.

Chris Grayling: The information is not currently available in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost within the required time scales.
	I will write to the hon. Member with the information once it is available.

New Enterprise Allowance Scheme: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people resident in Peterborough constituency are participating in  (a) the New Enterprise Allowance Scheme,  (b) Work Clubs and  (c) Work Choice; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: The new enterprise allowance is not yet available in Peterborough. Precise roll out plans are still being finalised but we intend to begin rolling out the new enterprise allowance from April. Work Clubs provide support on an entirely voluntary basis and we do not hold the information on numbers accessing individual Work Clubs. We do not gather information by constituency on numbers accessing Work Choice.

Pension Credit

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of  (a) women and  (b) men receive pension credit in retirement.

Steve Webb: The information requested is not available. The answer shows pension credit recipients expressed as a proportion of those who have reached the pension credit qualifying age.
	
		
			  Number of pension credit claimants over 60 by gender as a proportion of the population aged 60 or over as at May 2010 
			   Number in receipt of pension credit  Population figures (aged 60 and over)  Percentage of population (aged over 60) in receipt of pension credit 
			 Females 1,663,690 7,391,900 22.5 
			 Males 1,070,070 6,086,500 17.6 
			  Notes: 1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. The pension credit qualifying age is gradually increasing to 65. The current pension credit qualifying age is between 60 and three months and 60 and four months dependant upon a person's date of birth. This means a small proportion of the over 60's population will be unable to claim pension credit because they have not yet reached the qualifying age. 3. Caseload figures represent the benefit claimants, some of whom may have partners aged under 60. 4. Mid 2009 population estimates used for males and females aged 60 and over.  Source: DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study ONS Mid 2009 Population Estimates

Remploy: Pay

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what reasons managers and directors of Remploy were paid bonuses for 2010.

Maria Miller: The coalition inherited a bonus scheme for 2010 agreed between Remploy and the previous Government.
	This Government believe all Departments, including non-departmental public bodies, need to show restraint in the current economic climate. The Department, therefore, requested that Remploy apply the Government's bonus cap.
	A recent employment tribunal upheld the previous Administration's remuneration settlement and found that Remploy were contractually obliged to pay the company's 2009-10 performance year bonuses. The Department therefore has no power to restrict the payment of these bonuses to Remploy managers and executives.
	Notwithstanding this, all public sector bodies are reminded of the need for financial restraint and we have made clear that Remploy executives and managers should reflect this consideration in their pay and bonuses.
	We are working with Remploy to ensure pay restraint is applied in future years.

Social Security Benefits

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the level of annual savings to expenditure on benefits which will accrue from universal credit sanctions;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effects on attainment of the targets in the Child Poverty Act 2010 of the application of proposed sanctions in respect of universal credit contained in the White Paper on welfare reform.

Chris Grayling: In the Welfare Reform Bill we will be introducing a claimant commitment, which will set out the responsibilities of benefit recipients, alongside a clear and robust set of sanctions. Claimants will therefore know what they are expected to do and the consequences of failing to meet those expectations. These changes will be introduced under the current benefit system and will continue to apply under universal credit.
	The proposed model of sanctions could lead to longer sanctions for some claimants, particularly claimants who have repeatedly failed to meet their responsibilities. For other claimants-those who fail to meet lower level requirements-sanctions could be shorter depending on how quickly they re-engage.
	The overall effect on benefit costs will depend on the response of claimants to the proposed sanctions system. If-as is hoped-claimants are encouraged to comply in the first place and re-engage more quickly where they do fail to meet their responsibilities, there are unlikely to be any savings in comparison with the current system as a result of more sanctions being imposed. However, there could be savings from people moving off benefit more quickly as a result of greater compliance with the system.
	This sort of behavioural response is difficult to predict with certainty. And at this stage it is not possible to quantify the impact of the behavioural impact of the changes.
	Overall, we have estimated that universal credit will have a substantial positive impact on poverty and could lift as many as 350,000 children out of relative income poverty. This is a combined impact of all measurable universal credit factors, and does not identify the impact of the sanctions regime. This will help to meet the four 2020 income poverty targets in the Child Poverty Act.

Social Security Benefits

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has for future qualifying criteria for carer's allowance.

Maria Miller: The Government recognise that the United Kingdom's 6 million carers play an indispensable role in looking after family members or friends who need support.
	The Government are currently considering whether changes to carer's allowance will be necessary to take account of the introduction of universal credit and provide clearer, more effective support for carers.

Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will review the way in which medical assessments for the purposes of determining benefit suitability are carried out.

Chris Grayling: The Government have a commitment to commission an independent review of the WCA annually for the first five years of its operation. The first of these, which was conducted by Professor Malcolm Harrington and reported last November made a substantial series of recommendations, a number of which relate to the medical assessment which we have accepted and are implementing. We have now appointed Professor Harrington to conduct a second independent review, which will also look at elements of the assessment. We look forward to receiving his recommendations later this year.

Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 24 January 2011,  Official Report, column 103W, on social security benefit: medical examinations, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health on the suitability of a GP to provide independent advice to a patient on the determination of an entitlement to a health-related benefit; and what consideration of this issue was undertaken before publication of the NHS White Paper.

Chris Grayling: It would not be appropriate for GPs to fulfil this role. GPs are not routinely trained in the assessment of disability in relation to the entitlement criteria for health related benefits and are not necessarily independent insofar as their primary role is to act as an advocate for the patient.

State Retirement Pensions: Females

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many women he estimates will be affected by the plans to accelerate the raising of the pension age for women.

Steve Webb: Estimates of the number of women affected by the proposed changes to the state pension age were published in the equality impact assessment that accompanied the Government's White Paper 'A sustainable State Pension: when the State Pension age will increase to 66'.

Universal Credit: Livingston

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will assess the effects of the introduction of the proposed universal credit in Livingston constituency.

Chris Grayling: The information requested is not available.

Work Capability Assessment: Telephone Services

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department has estimated the average cost  (a) in total and  (b) per minute of a call from a mobile telephone to the 0800 number provided by his Department to contact Atos in relation to the work capability assessment.

Chris Grayling: This information is not held by the Department for Work and Pensions or Atos Healthcare as mobile phone tariffs vary depending on the type of contract the caller has with their service provider (all inclusive contract, or pay as you go etc.).

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Anti-Semitism

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 2 June 2010,  Official Report, column 10W, on anti-Semitism, what steps he has taken to protect the Jewish community from anti-Semitic attacks since June 2010; what recent meetings he has had with representatives of the Jewish community on the issue; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Stunell: I have been asked to reply.
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office supports the Cross-Government Working Group to Tackle anti-Semitism which is chaired by the Department of Communities and Local Government and regularly receives representations from the Jewish community on issues of concern. In addition the Government published a three years on progress report to the All Party Parliamentary Inquiry in December which highlighted the steps we have taken to combat anti-Semitism.

BBC External Services

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what organisations he consulted prior to making the statement on the BBC World Service on 26 January 2011.

Jeremy Browne: The decision by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), to authorise the closure of five language services was the result of discussions with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) World Service.

British High Commission Dhaka

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the staff cost of the British high commission in Bangladesh  (a) was in each of the last five years and  (b) is projected to be in each year to 2015. [R]

Alistair Burt: Salary costs for our high commission in Dhaka in the financial year 2008-09 were approximately £2.76 million, for 2009-10 they were approximately £2.26 million and for 2010-11 the in-year forecast is £2.14 million. Figures for FY 2006-07 and 2007-08 are unavailable.
	Staffing decisions are made on an ongoing basis therefore we are unable to provide costs up to 2015. Although year-on-year costs can vary for a variety of reasons including exchange rate fluctuations, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is continually trying to drive down costs worldwide through increased efficiencies. The fall in staff costs does not represent a reduction of the UK's effort in Bangladesh.

Embassies: Finance

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions officials of his Department have had with their counterparts overseas on planned changes in the level of spending in embassies, high commissions and consulates.

Alistair Burt: In preparation for the spending review 2010, officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office spoke to counterparts in other Ministries of Foreign Affairs. They used these conversations to understand the common challenges faced by the UK's diplomatic network and those of our international partners, and to exchange ideas on how to deliver an effective and efficient service. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs is determined to ensure that we concentrate our resources where they are needed most, to protect and promote British interests worldwide.

European Council

William Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the conclusions of the February 2011 European Council, what the terms are of the limited treaty change to be adopted at the March 2011 European Council.

David Lidington: The February European Council Conclusions set out that
	"the March European Council will also adopt the final decision on the limited treaty change to set up the European Stability Mechanism".
	The proposed treaty change is set out in the draft European Council decision of 20 December 2010 (document EUCO 33/10) which seeks to amend, using the simplified revision procedure, Article 136 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union to enable member states in the euro area to set up a permanent mechanism to safeguard the financial and economic stability of the euro area as a whole. The EU document was deposited in Parliament on 22 December 2010, and submitted for scrutiny under the Explanatory Memorandum of 10 January 2011 (reference EUCO 33/10). Under the terms of the EU (Amendment) Act 2008, parliamentary approval from both Houses is required before the Government can signal agreement to adopt the draft decision at the March European Council. We will therefore introduce a motion and look forward to debating this further before the March European Council.

Somalia: Politics and Government

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps he has taken with the Secretary of State for International Development in response to the political and economic situation in Somalia.

Henry Bellingham: The Government works actively both with Somalis and the international community to address the political and economic situation in Somalia. I met the Foreign Minister of the Transitional Federal Government on 18 January 2011 to discuss the upcoming end of the transition period. I also opened a Foreign and Commonwealth Office funded conference on Somalia at Wilton Park on 7 February 2011. The conference helped to increase international coherence around a united approach to building long-term stability in Somalia. This included discussion on development, humanitarian and security approaches to improving the political and economic situation. Officials from both the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development also took part.
	The Secretary of State for International Development announced during a visit to Somaliland and the region that UK aid to Somalia will increase by up to three times over the next three years. This will result in 340,000 more people getting jobs and better services because of British aid over the next four years, in addition to over 500,000 people a year who will benefit from emergency humanitarian assistance.
	Greater stability, stemming from an end to conflict at national and local levels, is the underlying driver of all our objectives. Working across Government we want to: encourage mutually reinforcing and complementary governance structures; enable a permissive security environment which offers stability for citizens; reduce incentives to participate in violence and crime and; shift expectations towards official and legitimate authorities.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Aviation: Noise

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when her Department expects to conclude its discussions with the Department for Transport on the publication of airport noise action plans.

Richard Benyon: holding answer 8 February 2011
	The completion and formal adoption of the airport noise action plans are the final elements that DEFRA needs to complete in order to fulfil completely its obligations under this phase of the implementation of the Environmental Noise Directive 2002/49/EC (END). DEFRA officials have been working closely with their counterparts in the Department for Transport in reviewing the draft plans submitted by the airports. A number of final draft plans have now been received, and I anticipate that I will be in a position to adopt the first tranche of airport noise action plans in March. Following this, DEFRA officials expect that work on the other airport plans will be completed by early summer.

Aviation: Noise

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she has assessed the risk of EU infraction proceedings occurring as a result of the time taken to produce airport noise action plans.

Richard Benyon: holding answer 8 February 2011
	The Environmental Noise Directive 2002/49/EC (END) required member states to submit summaries of all the adopted airport noise actions plans to the European Commission by January 2009. Given the possible risk of infraction, DEFRA officials have ensured that the Commission has been kept regularly informed of progress and of the timetable for completion of the process. The Commission has recognised that its timetable was very tight and, thus, the reasons for the delay. It is understood that some member states have yet to report any information on action plans. Furthermore, the devolved Administrations have completed their action plan reporting, and England has already reported summaries of the action plans for its agglomerations, major roads and major railways. As a result, our current assessment is that the risk of infraction proceedings is minimal. DEFRA is planning to report to the Commission in the early summer, following the adoption of the action plans for the 17 English airports.

Birds: Conservation

Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to protect the natural environment and nesting sites inhabited by farmland birds identified by her Department as declining in number.

James Paice: Nearly 70% of English farmland is in Environmental Stewardship schemes which improve farmland bird habitats, thus helping to increase population numbers. The Government are reviewing these schemes to deliver better outcomes, and DEFRA's funding of the Campaign for the Farmed Environment is also supporting the farming sector's commitment to increase farmland bird numbers.
	Furthermore, DEFRA is committed to developing a new biodiversity strategy by spring 2011 setting out our approach to conserving biodiversity in England.

Departmental Written Questions

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of questions tabled in the House to her for answer on a named day did not receive a substantive answer on the day named for such answer in the period from 27 May 2010 to 7 February 2011.

Richard Benyon: We have received 349 named day PQs between 27 May 2010 and 7 February 2011; of these, 203 (58%) were answered on the day named for answer.

Fisheries

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her Department's policy is on the revision of restrictions on the number of days in which fishermen may catch fish.

Richard Benyon: Restrictions on the number of 'days at sea' fishermen may catch fish are in place under a number of management plans within EU waters. UK vessels are affected by restrictions in place for certain gear types in the western English Channel (ICES sub-area VIIe) under the multi-annual management plan for Western Channel sole; in the North Sea (ICES area IV) under the multi-annual plan for plaice and sole, and; in the North Sea (ICES area IV) and Eastern English Channel (ICES sub-area VIId), Irish Sea (ICES sub-area VIIa) and West of Scotland (ICES sub-areas VIa and Vb) under the long-term management plan for cod.
	Under each of these management plans, the number of days that may be spent at sea are revised annually according to the details of the management plan and linked to the state of the stocks.
	For the Western Channel, the number of days member states may allocate to individual vessels are detailed within the annual fishing opportunities regulation. The Government successfully argued that there should be no further cut to the number of days in 2011 as the conditions of the management plan, to reduce fishing mortality to the maximum sustainable yield level, have been met. For all other areas, there is a reduction in fishing effort required in line with provisions of the management plan. The Government are working with fishermen's representatives and other interested parties to implement these reductions in a way that provides sufficient time at sea for vessels to catch their quota, including additional time for more sustainable fishing activity, while ensuring that the UK remains within its EU limits.

Fossil Fuels: Exploration

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will carry out an overall assessment of the effects of fracking on underground water supplies; and if she will issue guidance to industry on the practice.

Richard Benyon: The impact of hydraulic fracturing on the water environment in England and Wales would be assessed on a site specific basis by the Environment Agency. This would happen via its role as a statutory consultee in the planning process, or as part of its consideration of the need for, and response to, an application for an environmental permit (under the Environmental Permitting Regulations 2010). The Environment Agency has its own in-house technical expertise which is used to support its role in protecting and managing water quality and resources.
	The UK has a robust regulatory regime in place to ensure that any environmental risk from these activities would be controlled. This regulatory regime is backed up by both Government and Environment Agency guidance. Based on experience to date in the UK, we do not consider there is a need to modify any formal guidance or regulations, but this will be kept under review.

Nature Reserves

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with  (a) departmental officials,  (b) Natural England and  (c) environmental charities on the future of national nature reserves.

Richard Benyon: Natural England has been investigating different management options for National Nature Reserves and have had a number of discussions with officials and Natural England at which these have been covered. Ministers have been briefed by Natural England and have frequently had meetings with environmental charities. At some of these National Nature Reserves have been discussed among other issues.

Sites of Special Scientific Interest

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many owners of sites of special scientific interest were served restoration orders in  (a) 2007,  (b) 2008,  (c) 2009 and  (d) 2010.

Richard Benyon: The number of owners of sites of special scientific interest served restoration orders were:
	2007: 1
	2008: 1
	2009: 1
	2010: 0.

Water: EU Law

Marcus Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what duties are placed on British Waterways in consequence of the operation of the Water Framework Directive.

Richard Benyon: The water framework directive (WFD) is transposed in most of England and Wales by the Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England and Wales) Regulations 2003. Regulation 17 requires that the Secretary of State, Welsh Ministers, the Environment Agency and certain public bodies (including British Waterways):
	"must, in exercising their functions so far as affecting a river basin district, have regard to...the river basin management plan for that district as approved...".
	There are other duties on public bodies in these regulations in relation to the provision of information and assistance to the Environment Agency (Regulation 19), and in relation to compliance with any directions or guidance issued by the Secretary of State, or Welsh Ministers (Regulation 20). Other regulations make similar provision in the cross-border Northumbria and Solway Tweed river basin districts. This is a devolved matter in Scotland.
	British Waterways discharges its duties under Regulation 17 by means of its Environmental Management System. This system ensures the environmental appraisal of all British Waterways' activities, assessing impacts in terms of the WFD 'no deterioration' objective. It also checks that there is a process to deal with the actions in each river basin management plan for which British Waterways is responsible.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Departmental Public Expenditure

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much Barnett consequential funding his Department has provided to each devolved Administration in  (a) 2010-11 to date and  (b) each of the last three years; and with which programmes such funding was associated.

Bob Neill: In the 2010 spending review changes in the DEL budgets of the devolved Administrations were determined by the Barnett formula in the normal way. The settlements for the years 2011-12 to 2014-15 were published in table 2.22 of the 2010 spending review document (Cm 7942).
	Barnett consequentials relating to each of the devolved Administrations for the years 2008-09 to 2010-11 are published as part of the Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses Supplementary Material on the Treasury's website under the heading "House of Lords Select Committee on the Barnett Formula".
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/pespub_pesa10.htm
	Updated tables taking account of adjustments since the publication of the 2010 edition of Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses will be published alongside the next edition of the analyses later this year.
	Information on the block grants paid by the territorial offices to the devolved Administrations is published alongside the main and supplementary estimates.

Housing: Construction

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  which local authorities he estimates will  (a) gain and  (b) lose financially as a result of the implementation of his proposals for a New Homes Bonus system over the next six years; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what his estimate is of the number of local authorities which would  (a) gain and  (b) lose financially as a result of the implementation of his proposals for a New Homes Bonus system over the next six years; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  which local authorities were assessed as likely to  (a) gain and  (b) lose financially in the retrospective modelling carried out by his Department as part of the New Homes Bonus consultation paper; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what assessment he has made of the geographic areas in which the estimated 14,000 additional new homes predicted by the New Homes Bonus impact assessment will be built; and if he will make a statement.

Grant Shapps: The aim of the New Homes Bonus is to provide a powerful, simple, transparent and permanent means of incentivising local authorities to increase their housing supply.
	The spending review has secured almost £1 billion of funding to support the New Homes Bonus over the four year spending review period.
	The consultation stage impact assessment published alongside the scheme consultation makes an estimate of the potential supply impact, but the relative financial position of an authority compared to others will depend on the final scheme design and the behavioural response of local authorities and their communities.
	We are giving communities and neighbourhoods new rights, powers and tools that they could use to drive forward local regeneration and growth, enhancing their ability to benefit from the New Homes Bonus. We are also giving local communities and councils greater control over what happens locally, and greater ability to secure and channel public resources, and to attract private and social investment.
	The distribution and behavioural response of local authorities will largely determine the geographical spread but our analysis suggests a potential increase of 8-13% nationally. This represents a total of approximately 144,000 additional homes built over the initial 10 years. The impact assessment also provides an illustration of the impact by demand and attitude to growth. This can be found at
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/newhomesbonusconsult
	To disclose the retrospective modelling would be inappropriate. The modelling was done on the basis of retrospective housing supply data which cannot take account of future policy changes. In addition the Government have not yet made an announcement on the final scheme design. This will be made shortly.
	We have however, published a calculator alongside the consultation document where individual local authorities are given an indicative allocation for year 1 and can estimate future years funding from the New Homes Bonus scheme. This can be found at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/1767709.xls
	Under the consultation proposals we are also incentivising local authorities to bring empty homes back into use. This also means the authorities demolishing homes classified as long-term empty homes would not be penalised.

Social Rented Housing

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he expects to publish proposals for funding arrangements for registered providers under the affordable rent scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Stunell: We are planning to publish guidance on the new Affordable Homes Programme jointly with the Homes and Communities Agency very shortly.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Departmental Security

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport which persons not employed by Government departments or agencies hold passes entitling them to enter his Department's premises.

John Penrose: Such passes are held by: 54 people who work for companies that provide IT, facilities management, security guarding and related services to the department; 30 staff who work for a private tenant in our main building in Cockspur street (whose passes do not allow access to DCMS occupied floors); and 24 agency and interim staff working in the Department.

Government Art Collection

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much funding the Government Art Collection plans to allocate to the acquisition of new works of art in  (a) 2010-11 and  (b) 2011-12.

Edward Vaizey: The capital budget allocation for the purchase of new works of art for 2010-11 is £194,000. For 2011-12 it is £104,000.

Government Art Collection

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent estimate he has made of the value of the Government Art Collection.

Edward Vaizey: It is not possible to give an accurate estimate of the value of the Government Art Collection, which has no current market valuation. The current monetary value of a work of art can be accurately assessed only at the time of purchase or sale or by professional valuation. In the former case, the collection is not actively traded; in the latter, it would not be justifiable expenditure of public funds to have the whole collection valued professionally.

Ofcom: Consultants

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the name was of the consultancy on whom Ofcom spent £2.7 million in 2009-10 on that consultancy's role as a thought partner; what the  (a) number of hours worked,  (b) number of staff provided,  (c) hourly rate per member of staff for the consultancy, for the provision of these services were.

Edward Vaizey: holding answer 8 February 2011
	 The matter raised is an operational one for the independent regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which is accountable to Parliament rather than Ministers. Accordingly, my officials spoke to Ofcom, who advised that the £2.7 million referred to was not spent on one consultancy, rather it was the total sum spent across 2009-10 on work provided by 31 different suppliers providing a range of services to Ofcom including research and specialist technical expertise on a range of projects as part of Ofcom's overall annual programme of work. The table sets out the suppliers used and total sums paid.
	According to Ofcom, information provided as part of its tendering process is commercially sensitive. Ofcom was therefore unable to provide a more detailed breakdown of the number of hours worked, staff provided and hour rate by each supplier since disclosure of this may compromise future tendering processes. A breakdown of the figure in question is as follows:
	
		
			  Vendors  Total  (£) 
			 Aegis Systems Ltd. 11,759.40 
			 Analysys Mason Ltd. 771,521.33 
			 Andrew Chesher 49,335.00 
			 BDO Stoy Hayward LLP 9,400.00 
			 Bentley Associates 14,638.34 
			 Critical Research Ltd. 14,282.13 
			 Deloitte and Touche LLP 177,754.61 
			 Dotecon Ltd. 213,869.55 
			 ERA Technology Ltd. 45,783.60 
			 Ernst and Young LLP 61,850.00 
			 Essential Research 153,958.07 
			 Harris Interactive UK Ltd. 10,420.58 
			 Illuminas Ltd. 29,375.73 
			 KPMG LLP 4,684.26 
			 LECG Ltd. 96,915.00 
			 Mediaclarity Digital Ltd. 23,500.00 
			 Mott MacDonald Ltd. 42,379.54 
			 Oliver and Ohlbaum Associates Ltd. 50,963.28 
			 Oxera Consulting Ltd. 141,956.14 
			 PA Consulting Group 105,187.50 
			 Plum Consulting Ltd. 72,262.50 
			 PricewaterhouseCoopers 31,033.24 
			 Prodata Partners Ltd. 42,423.50 
			 Sagentia Ltd. 34,603.75 
			 Saville Rossiter-Base 371,888.94 
			 Steve Carter 2,350.00 
			 Synovate Ltd. 110,481.69 
			 The Brattle Group 6,316.38 
			 TNS UK Ltd. 39,675.00 
			 Transfinite Systems Ltd. 2,300.01 
			 Value Partners Management Consulting 63,410.50 
			 Accounting adjustments (40,512.50) 
			 Total 2,765,767.07

Olympic Games 2012

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether Visit England has provided to the Department its annual review on the opportunities arising from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games.

John Penrose: VisitEngland has not been asked by this Department to undertake an annual review on 2012 opportunities, but has (naturally) done extensive analysis to underpin its strategies and marketing plans for 2012 and beyond.

Olympic Games 2012

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he has plans to compensate businesses whose premises will be temporarily inaccessible because of security measures associated with the London 2012 Olympics.

Hugh Robertson: Operational planning for the Olympic and Paralympic Games aims to minimise disruption to individuals and businesses as far as possible. London 2012 delivery partners have been working together for some time to ensure clear and co-ordinated communications and consultation well in advance of the games to enable businesses to assess how games operations might affect their own operations and plan accordingly. Any compensation claims that do arise will be dealt with on a case by case basis.

Olympic Games 2012: Contracts

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport which companies based in Scotland have been awarded contracts to provide supplies and services to the London 2012 Olympics to date.

Hugh Robertson: To date, 25 businesses registered in Scotland have won work supplying the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA).
	This figure only accounts for the contracts awarded by the ODA to its own top tier of contractors (tier one contractors), such as Barr, based in Glasgow, who are building the basketball arena. The figure does not include contracts further down the supply chain, in tiers two, three and so on, which are awarded by the tier one contractors and not by the ODA. The names of the companies, that have won Games-related contracts, can be found at the business section of the London 2012 website at the following link:
	http://www.london2012.com/get-involved/business-network/oda-suppliers/index.php

Telecommunications: Visual Impairment

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the contribution to the economy of the use by deaf people of video relay services.

Edward Vaizey: No assessment has been made of the contribution to the economy of the use by deaf people of video relay services.
	Ofcom is currently undertaking a review of relay service provision for hearing- and speech-impaired users of electronic communications. A consultation document will be published in the spring which will include Ofcom's analysis on the costs and benefits associated with video relay services and an impact assessment.
	A research report which will help inform the review was published on 4 February 2011 and can be read at:
	http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/market-data-research/telecoms-research/ofcom-relay-services/
	This report seeks to quantify the value to deaf people of the various options for relay services.

HEALTH

Bowel Cancer: Health Services

David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to support effective commissioning for bowel cancer;
	(2)  if he will take steps to ensure communication and partnership working between Public Health England and the NHS in respect of prevention and treatment of  (a) bowel cancer and  (b) other cancers to achieve a joined-up approach;
	(3)  what steps he is taking to provide  (a) GPs,  (b) GP commissioners and  (c) GP consortia with information, support and resources to provide effective bowel cancer services.

Paul Burstow: The White Paper 'Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS' describes the Government's vision to create a more autonomous and accountable national health service. Within this new commissioning architecture, responsibility for most commissioning is devolved to local general practitioner (GP) commissioning consortia, supported and held to account by an independent NHS Commissioning Board.
	'Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer', published on 12 January, discusses how commissioners can be supported to commission cancer services, including bowel cancer services, in the reformed national health service. A significant amount of cancer care is best commissioned for populations covering one and a half to two million and, where population size requirements mean that a single GP consortium is too small to commission a particular service, then GP consortia will wish to work collaboratively. GP consortia will be able to decide whether they wish to identify a lead consortium for commissioning more specialised cancer services or to do so through commissioning support organisations.
	In addition, health and well-being boards in every upper-tier local authority will provide a mechanism for bringing together local NHS, public health and social care commissioners. This could provide a forum for the development of cross-cutting commissioning approaches to improve cancer services.
	The Department and the National Cancer Action Team have previously provided commissioners with a range of commissioning guidance and support, such as the Cancer Commissioning Toolkit and the Cancer Commissioning Guidance. Going forward, this guidance will be developed to reflect what works best in supporting pathfinder GP consortia. In 2011, we will also develop a cancer commissioning support pack to enable commissioners to access in one place the key information they will need to discharge their functions effectively.
	Our strategy also makes clear the vital role that GPs have to play in achieving early diagnosis of cancer and it is therefore important they receive the necessary support to do this. We are providing £450 million over the next four years that will give GPs direct access to a range of diagnostic tests to confirm or rule out cancer; support GPs to diagnose cancer; and fund the associated cancer treatments in secondary care.
	There is already information available for GPs about referral of patients with possible cancer symptoms, but we are looking at more ways to support GPs. Specifically on bowel cancer, we have commissioned Bowel Cancer UK to provide resource packs for all GPs in the two regions that are involved in campaigns to encourage earlier presentation of people with bowel cancer symptoms.
	Successful delivery of public health services will require strong links between Public Health England and the NHS. Joint working will be essential in supporting the collection and provision of the information needed to inform future commissioning and to enable specific public health services to be commissioned through, and delivered by, the NHS. This will require sharing of expertise and knowledge across the two services.

Departmental Freedom of Information

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the letter of 4 February 2011 from his Department's freedom of information case officer to the right hon. Member for Wentworth and Dearne, what deadline he has set by which the hon. Member's request for a departmental internal review will be completed and released.

Simon Burns: Work on this review is still under way and a response will be sent to the right hon. Member as soon as possible and a copy placed in the Library. The Freedom of Information Act does not provide a legal deadline for the completion of an internal review.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much Barnett consequential funding his Department has provided to each devolved Administration in  (a) 2010-11 to date and  (b) each of the last three years; and with which programmes such funding was associated.

Simon Burns: In the 2010 spending review changes in the departmental expenditure limit (DEL) budgets of the devolved Administrations were determined by the Barnett formula in the normal way. The settlements for the years 2011-12 to 2014-15 were published in table 2.22 of the 2010 Spending Review document (Cm 7942).
	Barnett consequentials relating to each of the devolved administrations for the years 2008-09 to 2010-11 are published as part of the Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses Supplementary Material on the Treasury's website under the heading House of Lords Select Committee on the Barnett Formula and is available at:
	www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/pespub_pesa10.htm
	Updated tables taking account of adjustments since the publication of the 2010 edition of Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses (PESA) will be published alongside the next edition of PESA later this year.
	Information on the block grants paid by the territorial offices to the devolved Administrations is published alongside the main and supplementary estimates.

Doctors: Training

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of foundation house officers did not continue their training beyond the Foundation Programme in the latest period for which figures are available.

Anne Milton: Figures from a recent United Kingdom-wide survey of Foundation Programme doctors indicated that approximately 11% had not continued their training at the present time, of which 6% took up a service post and 5% taking a career break.

Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many non-medical staff at Doncaster and Bassetlaw hospital are paid over £150,000 a year.

Simon Burns: Published earnings data for non-medical staff, which does not include staff who are not on Agenda for Change terms and conditions such as board members, chief executives, and others on local pay and conditions, show that there were no staff paid in excess of £150,000 in either basic pay or total earnings at Doncaster and Bassetiaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (FT) for the 12 months from October 2009 to September 2010.
	FTs are accountable to their governors and members, including on the issue of pay. The pay of FT directors, including their chief executive and senior staff, is up to each individual FT to determine. Neither Monitor nor the Department collect or hold this information centrally. However, this information is available publicly, in each FT's annual accounts, in £5,000 bands.
	In future, we will be introducing a new requirement on FTs through the Health and Social Care Bill about transparency on pay through their annual reports. FTs will have to include details of the pay and remuneration policy of the FT, together with details of the pay of directors and information on the work of the FT's remuneration committee.

Family Planning

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether family planning will fall within the commissioning responsibility of  (a) GP consortia and  (b) local authorities under his proposals for NHS reform.

Anne Milton: On 21 December 2010, we published 'Healthy Lives, Healthy People: Consultation on the funding and commissioning routes for public health', a copy of which has already been placed in the Library.
	We propose that local authorities will be responsible for commissioning comprehensive open-access sexual health services using funds from the ring-fenced public health budget. In the case of contraception, Public Health England will fund the commissioning by the NHS Commissioning Board of contraception provision currently available as an additional service under the general practitioner (GP) contract, and local authorities will fund and commission contraceptive services (including through community pharmacies) for patients who do not wish to go to their GP or who have more complex needs. This model also provides opportunities to further integrate provision of sexually transmitted infections and contraception services.
	These proposals are currently subject to consultation which closes on 31 March.

General Practitioners

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the potential for staff of primary care trusts to enter employment with GP commissioning consortia.

Simon Burns: The Impact Assessment of the Health and Social Care Bill shows a best estimate of 60% at this stage, of primary care trust (PCT) and strategic health authority staff transferring to new organisations in the system, including general practitioner (GP) commissioning consortia and the NHS commissioning board. GP commissioning consortia and PCTs should work together to ensure the movement of appropriately skilled and experienced staff into the new organisations to avoid the loss of skills and unnecessary redundancy costs.

General Practitioners: Disclosure of Information

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to publicise whistleblower rights and protections for GPs.

Anne Milton: The Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 (PIDA) is part of the wider employment rights legislation and gives the full protection of the law to employees who act in the public interest, providing they follow the procedures set out in the Act.
	PIDA would apply where a genera! practitioner (GP) is directly employed, for instance by another GP or, in more limited circumstances, by a primary care trust (PCT). However, the vast majority of GPs provide primary medical services as independent contractors engaged under contracts for services by local PCTs. As such, they are not employees and PIDA would not apply.
	If a GP has concerns about another clinician or service then these can be raised with the local PCT, with the relevant professional regulatory body and, if registered, with the Care Quality Commission. It will be for the NHS Commissioning Board to consider what arrangements are needed to enable GPs to raise concerns with the GP consortia or the Board itself.

General Practitioners: Telephone Services

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects non-geographic telephone numbers for GP surgeries to be phased out; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: Following a public consultation on the future use of 084 numbers in the national health service, Directions to strategic health authorities and primary care trusts, and to special health authorities and NHS trusts in England (with the exception of NHS Direct NHS Trust) were issued in December 2009. The Directions instruct those organisations not to use contact telephone numbers which have the effect of the patient paying a premium above the cost of a call to a geographical number. Corresponding regulations were issued as an amendment to the General Medical Services Regulations in spring 2010.
	The regulations do not prohibit an organisation from using specific number ranges for the purpose of contacting NHS services, Organisations remain free to use non-geographical number ranges such as 084, providing that patients are not charged more than the equivalent cost of calling a geographical number to do so.

Health Services: Foreign Workers

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) doctors and  (b) other healthcare professionals from outside the EU who were employed in the UK on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Simon Burns: This information is not held centrally. The NHS Information Centre collects data on the number of medical staff broken down by country of primary medical qualification and not by nationality. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care Medical and Dental Workforce Census September 2009 (England) shows that 35,559 doctors qualified outside the European Economic Area. No data are collected on the country of qualification for other non-medical staff.

Living Wills

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's policy is on living wills.

Anne Milton: The Mental Capacity Act 2005 provides a legal framework to enable someone aged 18 and over to make an advance decision, sometimes known as a living will, to refuse specified medical treatment for a time in the future when they may lack the capacity to consent to or refuse that treatment. Provided the decision is valid and applicable to current circumstances, it has the same effect as a decision made by a person with capacity. There are no current plans to change that legal framework.

Myasthenias

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of trends in the costs of medicines to treat  (a) congenital and  (b) Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome.

Simon Burns: Information on the number of prescription items written in the United Kingdom and dispensed in the community in England, for medicines used to treat both congenital and Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome are provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Net ingredient cost of prescription items written in the UK and dispensed in the community in England-January 2005 to September 2010 
			  £000 
			   Congenital myasthenic syndrome( l)  Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome( 2) 
			 2005 2,646.8 26.1 
			 2006 2,758.8 18.3 
			 2007 2,761.8 27.0 
			 2008 2,908.9 9.0 
			 2009 2,995.9 6.0 
			 20103 2,176.7 13.8 
			 (1) These drugs are Distigmine bromide, Neostigmine bromide and Pyridostigmine bromide. The British National Formulary indicates neostigmine is also used for other purposes (neuromuscular blockade) and that distigmine is primarily used for urinary retention and sometimes for myasthenia gravis. (2) This includes 3,4. diaminopyridine (amifampridine) and Firdapse (brand name). (3) Nine months data, January to September.  Source: Prescription cost analysis system 
		
	
	These drugs are also used in hospitals. However, as they have not been positively appraised by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, under our contractual agreement with the company who supply us with the hospital data, IMS Health, we cannot release data for these drugs.

Myasthenias

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effects of the EU orphan drugs regulations on the development of medicines to treat  (a) congenital and (b) Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effects of EU orphan drugs regulations on the cost to patients of medicines to treat  (a) congenital and  (b) Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome.

Simon Burns: We have made no such assessments.
	The orphan drug legislation, Regulation (EC) No 141/2000, was introduced to include a specific incentive which provides for a period of market exclusivity for a company which develops an orphan drug.
	Rewards to companies under the orphan medicines scheme should be proportionate to the effort and cost incurred. If there is evidence of systematic use of the orphan drug legislation in circumstances where companies are not incurring substantial research and development costs, then we would consider pressing for a change in the European legislation.

Palliative Care: Children

Stuart Andrew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much of his Department's fund for children's palliative care has been spent to date; and on what he expects the remainder to be spent.

Anne Milton: The Department allocated just over £19 million of the £30 million funding made available in 2010-11 for children's palliative care projects. The remainder has now been returned to central finance. This funding will directly benefit children's palliative care and support more nationally equitable provision of services. The Expert Advisory Panel that reviewed all applications received, worked to ensure that as many effective bids as possible were funded and felt able to recommend that bids totalling over £19 million of the £30 million could be spent.

Palliative Care: Drugs

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to assess the  (a) safety and  (b) consistency of the approach of the NHS in prescribing drugs to frail and elderly patients in terminal care; and what steps he has taken to assess whether such treatment is at all times in the best interest of the patients.

Simon Burns: It is for local national health service services to ensure they are operating safely taking account of best practice guidance. The General Medical Council's guidance "Good Practice in Prescribing Medicines" gives detailed guidance for doctors on prescribing medicines, and makes it clear that prescribing must be appropriate and undertaken in the patient's best interests.
	The Department published a national End of Life Care Strategy in 2008, which aims to improve care for all adults from diagnosis through to bereavement. The Strategy sets out the need to engage actively with people at the end of life, and their families and carers, in care planning.
	This enables patients to make choices about the care they receive, including medication to control their symptoms and about advance decisions to refuse treatment, in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

Sickle Cell Diseases: Screening

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether his Department monitors the implementation of the NHS Standards and Guidance for Transcranial Doppler Scanning for Children with Sickle Cell Disease issued in March 2009;
	(2)  whether he has plans to ensure that all children with sickle cell disease have access to transcranial doppler scans to determine their risk of stroke.

Anne Milton: The planning, delivery and improvement of services for people with sickle cell are the responsibility of local commissioners and providers.
	The Department, working with key partners has supported a range of initiatives to improve access to services for sickle cell and thalassaemia patients. These include:
	supporting the development of transcranial doppler scanning services to provide early identification of sickle cell children at risk of stroke;
	launching the National Haemoglobinopathy Registry to identify patients with sickle and thalassaemia and monitor care;
	funding training posts for registrars, nurse consultants and clinical scientists to increase the number of staff with specific expertise in haemoglobinopathy disorders; and
	funding the East Midlands Specialised Commissioning Group to produce standards of care for trusts and service models for commissioners in high and low prevalence areas and integrated pathways of care for patients.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Alcoholic Drinks: Crime

Stuart Andrew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department plans to take to reduce the incidence of alcohol-related crime and disorder in university towns and cities.

James Brokenshire: In the coalition agreement, the Government set out a clear programme of reform around alcohol licensing to tackle the crime and antisocial behaviour that is too often associated with binge drinking in the night-time economy, and has particular issues for university towns and cities.
	Following a public consultation, we have introduced measures to deliver this reform through the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill. The measures include; making it easier for communities to have their say on local licensing by allowing local authorities to consider the views of the wider community, not just those living close to premises; charging a fee for late-night licences so that premises open late at night contribute towards the cost of policing and local authority services, and substantially overhauling the system for temporary event notices (TENs), so that existing loopholes can no longer be exploited by unscrupulous operators, while ensuring the process is not bureaucratic for small voluntary and community groups.

Anti-Semitism

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will commission a report from the chief constable of Greater Manchester police on allegations of anti-Semitic comments made at the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts protest on 29 January 2011; whether any arrests have been made in connection with such allegations; and if she will make a statement. [R]

Andrew Stunell: I have been asked to reply.
	The coalition Government are committed to confronting anti-Semitism wherever it is found. I would also refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, my hon. Friend the Member for Old Bexley and Sidcup (James Brokenshire), on 3 February 2011,  Official Report, columns 913-14W.

Anti-Semitism

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has had with the Community Security Trust on levels of anti-Semitism; what matters were discussed; and if she will make a statement. [R]

Andrew Stunell: I have been asked to reply.
	We regularly meet with representatives of the Community Security Trust to discuss the levels of anti-Semitism. In early February, I was briefed on the Community Security Trust's recent report on the number of anti-Semitic incidents in 2010 and I have asked the Cross Government Working Group on anti-Semitism to ensure that we continue to work together to tackle this issue.

Anti-Semitism

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent meetings she has had with the Board of Deputies of British Jews on levels of anti-Semitism; what matters were discussed; and if she will make a statement. [R]

Andrew Stunell: I have been asked to reply.
	We regularly meet with representatives of the Board of Deputies of British Jews to discuss the levels of anti-Semitism. Representatives from the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the Community Security Trust and the Jewish Leadership Council sit on the Cross Government Working Group which is tasked with tackling anti-Semitism.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effects of the changes to student visa requirements on the number of students studying at  (a) publicly-financed further education colleges,  (b) privately-financed further education colleges,  (c) publicly-funded higher education institutions and  (d) private higher education institutions.

Damian Green: A consultation on the student immigration system closed on 31 January. The consultation sought the views of all respondents on the effect of the proposals. The results of the consultation and an impact assessment will be published in due course.

CABINET OFFICE

Big Society Bank

Richard Fuller: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will take steps to support the development of not-for-profit contractors for public services through the big society bank.

Nick Hurd: The big society bank will operate at a wholesale level through social investment intermediaries to catalyse growth in the social investment market, encouraging increased investment in social enterprises and other organisations with a social purpose and broadening the finance options open to the sector. This means that, although the bank will not deal directly with frontline organisations, it may indirectly support the development of not-for-profit contractors for public services.

Big Society Initiative

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what his most recent assessment is of the level of public support for the big society initiative.

Nick Hurd: Big society is building on the great work already going on in the community and encouraging individuals to embrace the additional opportunities available to them. This is illustrated by the demand big society initiatives have received over the last year.
	For example, public service workers have been keen to take control of public services in order to improve quality and efficiency. 21 mutual pathfinders and 141 Pathfinder GP consortia have already been launched across public services.
	There is real demand for the National Citizens Service from young people as illustrated by the British Youth Council "Big Listen" survey. We expect over 11,000 people to take part in the initiative this summer.
	Businesses are also becoming more engaged in the community with 77% of business leaders stating they could do more to scale up strategic support for communities and 80% stating they could do more to encourage other businesses to scale up their support.

Big Society Initiative

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of the levels of  (a) recognition and  (b) understanding of the Government's big society initiative among (i) the general public, (ii) the voluntary sector, (iii) trade unions and (iv) hon. Members; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Hurd: We have not undertaken a formal assessment of the recognition and understanding of the big society initiative among the public. Nevertheless there has been widespread enthusiasm from the public and the voluntary sector to find out about and engage with the big society vision.
	For example, the Department for Education has received 258 applications to set up a free school, illustrating the appetite of the general public to have more say in public services.
	There is also increasing demand from individuals to contribute to their community and society. According to the 2008-09 Citizenship Survey, 14.1 million people who are already volunteering are willing to do more for others in their community.

Big Society Initiative

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will establish a formal definition for his Department's Big Society initiative.

Nick Hurd: The big society is at the heart of the Government's programme of reform, but it is not a Cabinet Office initiative with top down targets and prescription from the centre. The big society has three clear components at its core:
	inspiring social action;
	empowering communities to take control of their area; and
	opening up public services to diverse providers such as charities and social enterprises.

Public Service: Contractors

Richard Fuller: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will take steps to enable the big society bank to provide capital support to not-for-profit contractors for public services in order to guarantee their financial stability for potential public procurement bodies.

Nick Hurd: The big society bank will operate at a wholesale level through social investment intermediaries to catalyse growth in the social investment market, encouraging increased investment in social enterprises and other organisations with a social purpose and broadening the finance options open to the sector. This means that, although the bank will not deal directly with frontline organisations, it may indirectly provide capital to not-for-profit contractors for public services.

Speech Therapy

Robin Walker: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what role his Department has in the co-ordination of discussions between Departments on speech and language therapy.

Nick Hurd: The Cabinet Office has no co-ordinating role in any such discussions.

Transition Fund

Nia Griffith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  how much of his Department's Transition Fund he expects to be used to fund debt advice services in financial year 2010-11;
	(2)  how much of his Department's Transition Fund has been allocated to fund debt advice services in 2011-12.

Nick Hurd: Debt counselling is one of the eligible service areas for the £100 million Transition Fund. Funding has not been allocated in advance to specific service areas. As applications to the Transition Fund are still being assessed, I am not able say how much funding will be awarded to this area.

JUSTICE

Departmental Public Expenditure

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much Barnett consequential funding his Department has provided to each of the devolved administrations in  (a) 2010-11 to date and  (b) each of the last three years; and with which programmes such funding was associated.

Jonathan Djanogly: In the 2010 spending review changes in the DEL budgets of the devolved administrations were determined by the Barnett formula in the normal way. The settlements for the years 2011-12 to 2014-15 were published in table 2.22 of the 2010 spending review document (Cm 7942).
	Barnett consequentials relating to each of the devolved Administrations for the years 2008-09 to 2010-11 are published as part of the Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses Supplementary Material on the Treasury's website under the heading "House of Lords Select Committee on the Barnett Formula".
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/pespub_pesa10.htm
	Updated tables taking account of adjustments since the publication of the 2010 edition of PESA will be published alongside the next edition of PESA later this year.
	Information on the block grants paid by the territorial offices to the devolved administrations is published alongside the main and supplementary estimates.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the likely financial cost to his Department of the operation of the  (a) Civil Procedure Rule Committee,  (b) Criminal Cases Review Commission,  (c) Criminal Procedure Rule Committee,  (d) Family Procedure Rule Committee,  (e) Judicial Appointments and Conduct Ombudsman,  (f) Judicial Appointments Commission,  (g) Parole Board,  (h) Sentencing Council for England and Wales,  (i) Tribunal Procedure Committee and  (j) Valuation Tribunal for England in (i) 2011-12, (ii) 2012-13 and (iii) 2013-14.

Jonathan Djanogly: The information is set out as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			  Arm's length body  2011-12  2012-13  2013-14 
			 Civil Procedure Rule Committee 7,000 7,000 7,000 
			 Criminal Cases Review Commission (1)5,900,000 (1)5,600,000 (1)6,200,000 
			 Criminal Procedure Rule Committee(2) - - - 
			 Family Procedure Rule Committee 7,000 7,000 7,000 
			 Judicial Appointments and Conduct Ombudsman (1)500,000 (1)500,000 (1)500,000 
			 Judicial Appointments Commission (1)5,500,000 (1)5,500,000 (1)5,700,000 
			 Parole Board (1)10,500,000 (1)10,500,000 (1)10,800,000 
			 Sentencing Council for England and Wales(3) - - - 
			 Tribunal Procedure Committee(4) 11,500 18,500 18,000 
			 Valuation Tribunal for England(5) - - - 
			 (1) Indicative resource allocations only. (2) The funding for the Criminal Procedure Rule Committee in future years is yet to be agreed. (3) The funding for the Sentencing Council in future years is yet to be agreed. (4) In 2012-13 and 2013-14 recruitment exercises are planned, these cost £6,500. (5) The Valuation Tribunal for England is part of the Department of Communities and Local Government.

Land Registry

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when the findings of the feasibility study into the future of the Land Registry will be published.

Jonathan Djanogly: We do not intend to publish the findings of the feasibility study at this stage. The findings relate to the formulation and development of Government policy and are still under consideration by Ministers. Publication might deter Ministers and officials from raising, and having free and frank discussions, about the full range of possibilities in relation to any given policy or approach to implementation. This would have a detrimental effect on both the process of collective Government and the quality of the decision-making. In addition, the findings contain information that if released would, or would be likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of Land Registry and the Ministry of Justice.
	However, if the preferred option is for a materially different ownership structure for HMLR, then a full public consultation will be conducted.

Land Registry

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what discussions  (a) he and  (b) his officials have had with (i) Ministers and (ii) officials in the Cabinet Office on the Land Registry and the use of its data in the Public Data Corporation.

Jonathan Djanogly: Both the Secretary of State for Justice and my ministerial colleague Lord McNally have met with Ministers in the Cabinet Office regarding the Land Registry and the potential use of its data in a Public Data Corporation.
	Ministry of Justice officials have also met with colleagues in the Cabinet Office to ensure that full consideration is given to the Public Data Corporation proposition as part of the work undertaken in relation to the Land Registry Feasibility Study.

Prosecutions: Animal Welfare

Stuart Andrew: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prosecutions there have been in  (a) the UK and  (b) Yorkshire in respect of breaches of the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007 to date.

Jonathan Djanogly: Offences under the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007 cannot be separately identified from court proceedings data collated centrally by the Ministry of Justice as they form part of a miscellaneous group of offences which cannot be separately analysed.

Victims and Witnesses: Voluntary Organisations

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the financial cost to his Department was of support to the victim and witness voluntary sector in the financial years  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11.

Crispin Blunt: The financial cost to the Ministry of Justice for support to the victim and witness voluntary sector is as follows:
	  (a) £40.3 million in the financial year 2008-09;
	  b) £40.7 million in the financial year 2009-10; and
	 ( c) £48.9 million in the financial year 2010-11.
	This does not include the funding provided to Co-operative Legal Services to provide the Legal Advice Helpline service for people bereaved by homicide and the funding provided to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority to compensate victims of violent crime who have been physically or mentally injured.

SCOTLAND

Disability Living Allowance

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the decision to remove the mobility component of disability living allowance from those in residential care homes.

David Mundell: The Secretary of State for Scotland and I are in contact with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on a range of issues concerning reform of the welfare system.

Disability: Children

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland pursuant to the answer of 4 February 2011,  Official Report, columns 1015-6W, on disability: children, when he plans to meet the Scottish Government to discuss the conclusions of the report, Setting the Scene for Scotland's Disabled Children.

David Mundell: I said in my previous answer that I would be happy to meet the Scottish Government to discuss the conclusions and recommendations of the above report.

Heathrow: Glasgow

Frank Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with (a) BAA, (b) BMI and (c) trade unions on the future of direct flights between Glasgow and London Heathrow.

David Mundell: The Secretary of State for Scotland has spoken to the chief executives of BAA and bmi about the future of direct flights between Glasgow and London Heathrow, and intends to have further such discussions. He has raised with both the importance of this route to Scottish passengers and we are monitoring developments during the formal consultation bmi is conducting with its employees and the relevant unions.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Cambodia: Overseas Aid

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding his Department has allocated to aid in Cambodia in  (a) 2010-11 and  (b) each of the previous five years.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development's (DFID's) bilateral expenditure in Cambodia in each of the five years from 2005-06 to 2009-10 is published in 'Statistics on International Development' which is available on the DFID website and in the Library of the House. The relevant figures are reproduced in the following table.
	
		
			  Financial year  DFID bilateral expenditure in Cambodia (£ million) 
			 2005-06 13.1 
			 2006-07 12.4 
			 2007-08 12.8 
			 2008-09 17.7 
			 2009-10 15.8 
		
	
	Total programme spend in Cambodia in 2010-11 is estimated to be £14.7 million. Final figures for 2010-11 will be published in DFID's annual report in July.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Apprentices

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what proportion of the £1.4 billion fund for the creation of new apprenticeship places he expects to be used to fund apprenticeships in the low carbon sector;
	(2)  how many new apprenticeship places he expects to be created in the low carbon sector.

John Hayes: Government have ambitious plans for the growth of the Apprenticeship programme, but as apprenticeships are real jobs, the number of places available is determined by employer demand.
	The Skills Funding Agency and National Apprenticeship Service are working alongside the low carbon sector to make additional Apprenticeship places available where there is local demand.
	It is important that employers take up these opportunities and offer apprenticeship places to secure a new generation of highly skilled employees and we will be encouraging them to do so.

Carbon Monoxide: Alarms

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department has taken to promote the use of carbon monoxide alarms in residential properties; what plans it has for further such steps; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government take gas safety and awareness of carbon monoxide issues very seriously and provides significant information on government websites and in published information. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) advises consumers to always use a Gas Safe registered engineer for all gas work in their home and to ensure that any gas appliances are regularly serviced and maintained. HSE also strongly recommends the use of audible carbon monoxide alarms, but emphasises that they should not be used as a substitute for the correct installation or maintenance of an appliance. The Department for Communities and Local Government also require the installation of a carbon monoxide alarm when a new or replacement solid fuel appliance is installed under the obligations set out in the Building Regulations
	HSE and Gas Safe Register, the statutory registration scheme for gas engineers, also work to raise consumer awareness of the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning and the benefits of carbon monoxide alarms, through awareness raising promotions and media campaigns.

Citizens Advice Bureaux: Finance

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what funding his Department provided to Citizens Advice bureaux in England in each financial year from 2001-02 to 2009-10.

Edward Davey: BIS provides core grant in aid funding to Citizen Advice (CitA), the umbrella body for the Citizen Advice Service in England and Wales. That funding is provided for England and Wales jointly, not separately. Central Government do not provide funding directly to individual Citizen Advice Bureaux, core funding for which is usually provided by the local authority in which they are located.
	Over the previous years BIS has also provided funding to Citizen Advice (CitA) under the financial inclusion fund (for face to face debt advice project) and under the additional hours of advice (AHA) project. Programme funding for both ends March 2011.
	
		
			  £ 
			   BIS core funding  Financial inclusion fund  Additional hours project 
			 2009/10 21,470,000 18,579,000 7,500,000 
			 2008/09 21,470,000 17,949,000 2,500,000 
			 2007/08 21,470,000 13,071,000 - 
			 2006/07 21,470,000 15,443,000 - 
			 2005/06 23,605,000 - - 
			 2004/05 23,855,000 - - 
			 2003/04 22,920,000 - - 
			 2002/03 17,150,000 - - 
			 2001/02 17,140,000 - - 
			 Total 190,550,000 65,042,000 10,000,000

Citizens Advice Bureaux: Finance

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what funding was provided by his Department to Citizen Advice bureaux in England in 2010-11.

Edward Davey: BIS provides core grant in aid funding to Citizen Advice (CitA), the umbrella body for the Citizen Advice service in England and Wales. That funding is provided for England and Wales jointly, not separately. Central Government do not provide funding directly to individual Citizen Advice Bureaux, core funding for which is usually provided by the local authority in which they are located.
	Over the previous years BIS has also provided funding to Citizen Advice (CitA) under the Financial Inclusion Fund (for Face to Face Debt Advice project) and under the additional Hours of Advice (AHA) Project. Programme funding for both ends March 2011.
	
		
			  2010-11  £ 
			 BIS Core Funding 18,943,000 
			 Financial Inclusion Fund 29,320,000 
			 Additional Hours Project 5,310,000 
			 Total 53,573,000

Financial Services: Fees and Charges

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the Coalition Agreement, page 13, when he plans to bring forward proposals to end unfair bank and financial transaction charges.

Edward Davey: The Government have committed in the coalition agreement to introduce stronger consumer protections including measures to end unfair bank and financial transaction charges. We have been considering how best to take forward this commitment and believe that it should be done in the context of a wider strategic approach to strengthening and streamlining consumer protections and advocacy. This issue is therefore being addressed as part of our Consumer Credit and Personal Insolvency Review.
	The Call for Evidence on this Review has now closed. We have received a considerable number of responses which we are now considering. If the evidence comes out in favour of action, we will not hesitate to act to protect the interests of consumers. We will come forward with specific proposals in spring 2011.

Green Investment Bank

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what consideration he has given to the location of the headquarters of the Green Investment Bank.

Mark Prisk: Decisions on the location of the Green Investment Bank's headquarters will be taken in due course and on the grounds of operational effectiveness. I should note that we are not currently envisaging an institution with very large staff numbers.

Higher Education: Finance

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when the Higher Education Funding Council for England will announce the  (a) subjects which will receive grant funding and  (b) levels of such funding from 2012.

David Willetts: Our reforms to higher education whereby public funding largely follows the informed choices made by students rather than direct teaching grants from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) are being phased in over three years from the 2012/13 academic year. We said in our grant letter to HEFCE that the Council's future methods for allocating teaching grant would need to be fundamentally reviewed and revised as a consequence of those wider funding reforms. That review would be informed by our priorities for the remaining teaching grant which we will set out in the forthcoming higher education White Paper.
	Although we gave indicative funding totals in the Council's grant letter issued in December 2011 for the 2012-13 financial year those figures will not be confirmed until the 2012 grant letter is issued at the end of this year, in line with the usual annual process.

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many new Knowledge Transfer Partnerships he expects to be formed in each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) are one of the mechanisms utilised by the Technology Strategy Board to deliver support for business R and D and innovation. The Technology Strategy Board contributes around 70% of the total annual budget for KTPs, with the remainder coming from 19 other organisations including the Research Councils and other Government Departments.
	The Technology Strategy Board's annual budget allocation has not been finalised and it is also currently in the process of developing its strategic plan for the upcoming spending review period. Until this process is complete and the business plans of other funders has also been completed, it will not be possible to provide a robust indicator as to the number of Knowledge Transfer Partnerships that will be formed in each of the next five years.

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships: Finance

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much funding was allocated to innovation, collaboration and knowledge transfer partnerships between universities and businesses  (a) in total and  (b) by each regional development agency in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: holding answer 10 February 2011
	The following information has been taken from readily available information collected by regional development agencies (RDAs). There are also other projects and initiatives in which the RDAs have allocated funding, which contain elements relating to innovation, collaboration and knowledge transfer partnerships between universities and businesses. However, RDAs are unable to disaggregate this information without incurring disproportionate costs.
	
		
			 RDA 2005/06 2006/07 2007/09 2008/09 2009-10 
			 AWM (1)111,552,000 (1)90,143,000 (1)99,769,000 (2)105,783,000 - 
			  - - - (3)30,206,000 (4)65,485,371 
			 EEDA 16,887,529 8,628,159 6,485,054 19,958,418 5,552,094 
			 EMDA 12,640,000 14,000,000 18,000,000 9,800,000 15,100,000 
			 LDA 1,529,431 2,268,009 2,515,140 1,340,029 2,301,330 
			 NWDA 27,441,883 38,764,117 19,632,195 32,022,044 30,147,991 
			 ONE 4,394,857 11,161,663 11,276,073 10,909,503 6,121,223 
			 SEEDA 240,000 1,747,000 14,349,162 1,958,089 3,882,000 
			 SWRDA 18,733,309 13,873,365 11,576,811 8,396,163 19,637,241 
			 YF 3,074,772 7,588,025 12,147,165 1,913,032 16,831,431 
			 (1) Figures from annual reports and accounts (2005/06, 2006/07 and 2007/08) under the corporate plan definition of Pillar 1-Developing a dynamic and diverse business base. (2 )Spend on Corporate Plan theme of Business. (3) Spend on 'Harnessing Knowledge' which is included within the Business theme figure. (4) Solutions for Business innovation products.

Open University

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will assess the merits of extending the charter for the Open University so that it can run specific courses for students in 16 to 19 education.

David Willetts: The Government are keen to encourage improved choice and access to high quality, learner centred education and training opportunities for learners of all ages. The Open University already offers short higher education courses to sixth form students through its Young Applicants in Schools Scheme. If it wishes to amend its charter to allow for the delivery of courses of further education, it may put forward proposals to the Privy Council for consideration.

Public Expenditure

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much Barnett consequential funding his Department has provided to each devolved administration in  (a) 2010-11 to date and  (b) each of the last three years; and with which programmes such funding was associated.

Edward Davey: In the 2010 spending review changes in the DEL budgets of the devolved Administrations were determined by the Barnett formula in the normal way. The settlements for the years 2011-12 to 2014-15 were published in table 2.22 of the 2010 spending review document (Cm 7942). Barnett consequentials relating to each of the devolved Administrations for the years 2008-09 to 2010-11 are published as part of the Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses Supplementary Material on the Treasury's website under the heading House of Lords Select Committee on the Barnett Formula:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/pespub_pesa10.htm
	Updated tables taking account of adjustments since the publication of the 2010 edition of PESA will be published alongside the next edition of PESA later this year.
	Information on the block grants paid by the territorial offices to the devolved Administrations is published alongside the Main and Supplementary Estimates.

Qualifications: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many residents of Peterborough city council area had no formal qualifications in each year since 2001.

John Hayes: Estimates of the numbers and proportion of the population with different qualification levels (including no qualifications) at local authority level are published annually and can be found at:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_supplementary_tables/labour_force_survey_sfr_supplementary_tables/
	The following table shows the number and percentage of working age adults in Peterborough city council with no qualifications for each year from 2001 to 2009, which includes the most recent data available. These estimates are taken from the Annual Population Survey from 2004 onwards, and its predecessor the Annual Local Area Labour Force Survey from 2001 to 2003.
	Please note that these estimates are subject to large sampling variability and should therefore be treated with caution and viewed in conjunction with their confidence intervals(1) (CIs), which indicate how accurate an estimate is. For example, a CI of +/-2.2 percentage points (pp) means that the true value is between 2.2pp above the estimate and 2.2pp below the estimate.
	(1 )Those given are 95% confidence intervals
	
		
			  Estimates of people aged 19 to 59(F)/64(M) holding no qualifications in Peterborough city council 
			   Number (thousand)  Percentage  Confidence interval 
			 2001 14 15.4 +/-2.1pp 
			 2002 16 16.3 +/-2.1pp 
			 2003 14 15.0 +/-2.1pp 
			 2004 14 15.4 +/-2.2pp 
			 2005 14 15.1 +/-2.2pp 
			 2006 15 16.0 +/-2.2pp 
			 2007 14 15.1 +/-2.2pp 
			 2008 14 14.8 +/-2.2pp 
			 2009 11 12.1 +/-2.1pp 
			  Base: 19-59/64-year-olds, Peterborough city council  Source: Annual Local Area Labour Force Survey (2001-03) and Annual Population Survey (2004-09).

Social Enterprises

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of turnover in the social enterprise sector in each region in each of the last five years.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply.
	An assessment of the turnover of the social enterprise sector in each region in each of the last five years has not been made. The latest official estimates suggest that small and medium-sized social enterprises make an annual contribution of approximately £24 billion to Gross Value Added (GVA).

Social Enterprises

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many social enterprises there were in each region in each of the last three years.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply.
	An assessment of how many social enterprises there are in each region has not been made. However, the latest official estimates from October 2009 suggest that there are approximately 62,000 social enterprises in the UK.

Students: Loans

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what external advice he has received on the potential sale of the student loan book; and what the cost to the public purse was of obtaining such advice.

David Willetts: holding answer 10 February 2011
	 The Government are undertaking a feasibility study on the viability of monetising the £30 billion student loan portfolio. The Government have received investment banking, legal and accounting advice on a range of potential options. The cost of the feasibility study to date has been £700,000.

TREASURY

Banks: Pay

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of the document CRD3 Briefing on the Committee of European Banking Supervisors Guidance on Remuneration Provisions in the Capital Requirements Directive; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: holding answer 31 January 2011
	The document referred to is an internal document, written by officials for a Minister, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. It is not the Government's practice to provide details of such documents as its release could prejudice the effective conduct of public affairs.

Capital Gains Tax

John Stevenson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the amount of capital gains tax raised on the sale of residential properties in  (a) 2007-08,  (b) 2008-09 and  (c) 2009-10.

David Gauke: Capital gains tax paid depends on the taxpayer's total gains, losses, and reliefs claimed so it is not possible to attribute amounts of tax to specific types of asset disposal.
	The latest estimates available for the number of disposals, disposal value and gains made on assets disposed of in 2007-08 by type of asset, including residential property, are in National Statistics table 14.4 on the HM Revenue and Customs website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/capital_gains/table14-4.pdf

Debts: Advisory Services

Jessica Morden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when his Department plans to announce future plans for funding debt advice following the ending of the financial inclusion fund.

Mark Hoban: The Government have not yet taken a decision on the future of the projects currently funded from the FIF, including the face-to-face debt advice service. We expect to do so soon.
	The Government are committed to helping poorer households to access appropriate financial services, to improve their financial resilience and to avoid falling into unsustainable levels of debt.

Departmental Information Officers

Pete Wishart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were employed  (a) as press officers,  (b) as internal communication officers,  (c) as external communication officers,  (d) as communications strategy officers and  (e) in other positions with a communications remit by (i) his Department, (ii) its agencies and (iii) each non-departmental public body sponsored by his Department on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Justine Greening: As part of the Government's Transparency Agenda, HM Treasury published a departmental organogram in November 2010. This included information on the number of people employed in communications roles. This is available on the HMT website:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/hmtgroup_organogram291010.pdf
	The UK Debt Management Office currently employs two press officers; the roles take up to a third of each of their time.
	The Asset Protection Agency currently employs one full time External Communications Officer.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much Barnett consequential funding his Department has provided to each devolved administration in  (a) 2010-11 to date and  (b) each of the last three years; and with which programmes such funding was associated.

Danny Alexander: In the 2010 spending review changes in the DEL budgets of the devolved administrations were determined by the Barnett formula in the normal way. The settlements for the years 2011-12 to 2014-15 were published in table 2.22 of the 2010 spending review document (Cm 7942).
	Barnett consequentials relating to each of the devolved administrations for the years 2008-09 to 2010-11 are published as part of the Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses Supplementary Material on the Treasury's website under the heading House of Lords Select Committee on the Barnett Formula:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/pespub_pesa10.htm
	Updated tables taking account of adjustments since the publication of the 2010 edition of PESA will be published alongside the next edition of PESA later this year.
	Information on the block grants paid by the territorial offices to the devolved administrations is published alongside the Main and Supplementary Estimates.

EU Economic Policy

William Cash: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the conclusions of the February 2011 European Council, what criteria the European Council will use to judge the successful implementation of existing fiscal programmes with Greece and Ireland.

Mark Hoban: The adjustment programmes are assessed against compliance with the conditions set out in the Memoranda of Understanding that Greece and Ireland have signed with the IMF and the European Commission. These are available from the IMF's website on:
	 Greece
	http://www.imf.org/external/np/loi/2010/grc/080610.pdf
	and
	 Ireland
	http://www.imf.org/external/np/loi/2010/irl/120310.pdf

EU Economic Policy

William Cash: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  with reference to the conclusions of the February 2011 European Council, what further steps heads of state or government plan to take in the euro area to achieve a better quality of economic policy co-ordination; and by what means they plan to reconcile the likely effect of such steps with the continued operation of the single market;
	(2)  with reference to the conclusions of the February 2011 European Council, on what terms the European Council plans to invite non-euro members to participate in economic policy co-ordination; and  (a) whether and  (b) to what extent such members are to be legally bound by such co-ordination.

Mark Hoban: The Government welcome the commitment of the Heads of State or government of the euro area and the EU institutions in their statement, annexed to the European Council conclusions, "to ensure the stability of the euro area".
	In that context, the Government will consider the merits of any future proposals for euro area economic policy co-ordination as and when they are set out, but share the view expressed in the statement that any such co-ordination must not undermine the single market.

Excise Duties

Dan Rogerson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how much was paid out through the drawback duty regime in  (a) 2008,  (b) 2009 and  (c) 2010;
	(2)  what the annual value was of drawback duty fraud in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(3)  what criteria are required to be met before drawback duty is repaid to claimants.

Justine Greening: holding answer 31 January 2011
	Combined amounts paid out through drawback for alcohol, tobacco and energy products, from 2008 to 2010, are as follows:
	
		
			   Amount (£) 
			 2008 130,819,897 
			 2009 116,817,787 
			 2010 117,442,462 
		
	
	The best estimate for drawback related fraud is around £25 million per year.
	Drawback claimants must meet a number of criteria before repayment will be made. These include:
	providing HMRC with notification of their intention to claim drawback;
	making the goods available for inspection; and
	submitting a claim for drawback with supporting evidence showing:
	that goods are UK duty paid;
	evidence of export where goods are exported to a country outside the EU; and
	evidence of receipt and that duty was collected in the member state of destination where goods are being dispatched to another EU member state.

Excise Duties: Fuels

Jessica Morden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what discussions  (a) he and  (b) Ministers in his Department have had with representatives of the logistics industry to discuss the likely effects of scheduled fuel duty rises in the last six months;
	(2)  if he will assess the likely effects of the planned fuel duty rise on  (a) the logistics industry and  (b) other businesses in Wales from April 2011.

Justine Greening: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Glasgow North East (Mr Bain) on 24 January 2011,  Official Report, column 117W. The Government routinely discuss tax matters with industry stakeholders and assesses a range of factors. The Chancellor keeps all taxes under review along Budget timelines.

Inheritance Tax

John Stevenson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue was raised from inheritance tax in  (a) 2007-08,  (b) 2008-09 and  (c) 2009-10.

David Gauke: Receipts from inheritance tax in 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10 are published in the National Statistics table "HM Revenue and Customs Receipts" available from the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/tax_receipts/tax-receipts-and-taxpayers.pdf

Lloyds Banking Group: Sales

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in respect of the forthcoming sale of assets of Lloyds Banking Group in which UK Financial Investments has a significant holding, if he will maintain the position of the previous administration that such institutions will not be sold to any of the existing major companies in the UK banking industry.

Mark Hoban: As a condition of EU state aid approval for the aid they have received, Lloyds Banking Group (LBG) are required to execute a UK retail divestment amounting to a 4.6% market share of the personal current accounts market and at least 600 branches. The terms of the state aid agreement commit that the buyer of the divestment must, in combination with the divestment business, have a personal current accounts market share of no more than 14% in the UK. UKFI manages the Government's investments on financial institutions as an active and engaged shareholder, operating on a commercial basis and at arm's length from Government.
	Subject to complying with the terms of the state aid agreement with the European Commission, the sales are being managed and led by each firm's independent management team with a view to maximizing shareholder value, including that of the Government.

Revenue and Customs: Procurement

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the list of companies shortlisted by HM Revenue and Customs to tender for the contract to provide print services as its preferred print vendor partner.

David Gauke: HMRC are currently engaged in a formal procurement process and issued the invitation to tender (ITT) to nine shortlisted suppliers on 7 February 2011. It would be inappropriate on grounds of commercial confidentiality to name shortlisted suppliers at this time. On conclusion of the process, the name of the successful supplier will be publicly announced.
	The ITT also specifies that during the procurement process, shortlisted tenderers should not disclose that they have been shortlisted.

UK Financial Investments

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the performance of UK Financial Investments Ltd in meeting its objectives of promoting competition.

Mark Hoban: The banks in which the Government have an investment are managed on an arm's length and commercial basis by UK Financial Investments (UKFI).
	UKFI's mandate is to develop and execute a strategy for disposing of the Government's investments in financial institutions in an orderly and active way, within the context of protecting and creating value for the taxpayer as shareholder and paying due regard to the maintenance of financial stability and to acting in a way that promotes competition.
	The Government are determined that the investments in financial institutions do not prevent or distort effective competition, or contravene normal merger control or competition law restrictions.